Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is the lifeblood of many rural communities across Ghana. Towns such as Kibi, Anyinam, Osino, Bunso, Akoko, and Potrase are examples of vibrant but underserved hubs of mining activity. Despite Ghana’s efforts to formalize and regulate gold trade through initiatives like Ghana Goldbod, significant gaps remain between policy and practice on the ground.
One of the most pressing issues is the lack of accessible avenues for miners and local gold buyers to register for the Gold Buying License, a critical component in Ghana’s efforts to curb illegal mining and promote traceable gold exports. From field conversations and local testimonies, it is evident that many small-scale miners and gold buyers are unaware of how or where to obtain the license. This vacuum in institutional presence threatens the success of formalization and risks alienating stakeholders who are willing to comply but lack the means to do so.
Local Concerns: The Disconnect Between Regulation and Reality:
In the towns of Kibi, Anyinam, Osino, Bunso, Akoko, and Potrase, miners and gold buyers consistently express confusion and frustration about the licensing process. Despite the government’s intention to streamline gold trade, the required infrastructure is lacking in rural areas. The consensus from community engagements is clear: they do not know where or how to register for the gold buying license, and existing communication channels are either ineffective or entirely absent.
Miners are often willing to comply with regulatory requirements, but the absence of a visible government or institutional presence leads to confusion, misinformation, and in some cases, exploitation. Without a formal process within reach, many resort to informal networks or operate outside the law by default rather than intent.
1: Establish Ghana Goldbod Satellite Offices in Mining Communities:
To bridge this gap, it is imperative that Ghana Goldbod establishes fully equipped satellite offices in local mining communities. These offices should not merely act as information desks but as full-service registration and compliance centers with internet connectivity, proper equipment, and professional personnel. The presence of such offices will:
Facilitate easy and direct access to licensing services.
Ensure accurate record-keeping and regulatory compliance.
Improve communication and education around the gold trade framework.
Build trust between miners, buyers, and the government.
Internet access is a critical component. Most existing government processes now require online forms, verifications, and data submissions. Without reliable internet and digital tools in the field offices, the registration process becomes inaccessible to rural participants.
2: Establish a Multi-Institutional Presence at Local Goldbod Offices:
To streamline registration and create a one-stop solution for local gold buyers and miners, these Goldbod offices should include representatives from key government and institutional agencies:
Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA): To register tax identification numbers (TINs), educate applicants on tax obligations, and integrate buyers into the formal tax system.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): To assess environmental compliance and issue relevant permits where necessary.
Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT): To help miners register for social security, ensuring their long-term welfare and retirement security.
Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) and National Investment Bank (NIB): To facilitate the opening of bank accounts for applicants, ensuring that all financial transactions are traceable and compliant with anti-money laundering (AML) laws.
Ghana Police Service: Since police reports are a prerequisite for license applications, having a police desk on-site will reduce the bureaucratic delay and improve verification integrity.
This integrated approach will reduce the logistical burden on miners and buyers who currently must travel long distances to interact with various government agencies. It will also reduce fraud and corruption by centralizing and monitoring the registration process.
Field Testimonies: Voices from the Mining Communities:
In interviews conducted in towns like Kibi and Anyinam, local miners expressed that they are often misled by intermediaries who charge excessive fees or provide falsified documents under the guise of offering help with registration. This phenomenon is partly due to the information vacuum created by the lack of formal government presence. One miner in Osino lamented:
We keep hearing on radio about the gold license, but no one knows where to get it. If you go to town, people will just point you from one office to another. In the end, you give up and not all is us in good when it’s comes into the internet.”
Another gold buyer in Potrase explained:
“We want to follow the law, but the law must come closer to us. If we have to go to Accra just to register, most of us cannot have time that.”
Economic and Policy Implications:
Failure to address these concerns not only discourages formalization but also undermines the government’s broader economic and security goals. An effective and accessible registration process:
Promotes legal trade and reduces smuggling.
Improves the quality of data on gold production and trade.
Increases tax revenues from formal transactions.
Enhances Ghana’s global image as a compliant gold producer.
Encourages investment by improving transparency in the value chain.
Conversely, if miners and buyers remain outside the formal system, illegal trade will continue to flourish, environmental regulations will be flouted, and Ghana may face sanctions from international bodies concerned with conflict minerals and trade irregularities.
Conclusion: A Call to Action:
The concerns raised by miners and buyers in the Eastern Region reflect a wider national challenge: the need to decentralize and humanize the regulatory process. Ghana Goldbod, in partnership with the BoG and relevant government agencies, must take deliberate steps to create accessible, transparent, and efficient pathways for registration and compliance.
Setting up community-based registration hubs with full institutional representation and digital infrastructure is not merely an administrative reform—it is a strategic imperative. It will transform confusion into compliance, mistrust into cooperation, and informal mining into a regulated, revenue-generating sector.
The time to act is now. With the right investment and political will, Ghana can lead the way in responsible mining governance across Africa.
