The Government has registered more than 5,000 small-scale miners and 150 mining cooperatives under its Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme as part of efforts to formalise the mining sector and promote responsible mining practices.
Presenting the 2026 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review in Parliament on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson said the registrations had been completed across eight mining regions, with training programmes also rolled out in several mining districts to improve safety, environmental protection and regulatory compliance.
He announced that the country’s first Cooperative Mining Scheme had been launched at Akyem Kotoku in the New Abirem Municipality. According to the Minister, the scheme will deploy mercury-free mineral processing technology to improve gold recovery, reduce environmental pollution and create sustainable employment opportunities for mining communities.
Dr Forson stated that Government intends to complete the nationwide registration of all small-scale miners and mining cooperatives during the second half of 2026 to strengthen regulation and accountability within the sector.
The Minister also highlighted intensified efforts to combat illegal mining through the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), which has stepped up intelligence-led operations aimed at protecting rivers, forest reserves and agricultural lands.
He disclosed that 200 coordinated operations had been conducted across six regions during the review period, leading to the arrest of 207 suspects, including 46 foreign nationals.
The operations also resulted in the seizure or immobilisation of 168 excavators, the destruction of 2,800 Chanfang platforms, and the seizure or destruction of hundreds of pumping machines, vehicles and motorbikes used in illegal mining activities.
In addition, enforcement teams recovered 112 pump-action guns and 1,637 rounds of ammunition during the operations, underscoring the security risks associated with illegal mining.
Dr Forson reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to sustaining intelligence-led enforcement operations, strengthening collaboration among security agencies and improving the supervision of land reclamation to safeguard the country’s natural resources.
