The Chief Executive Officer of Dalex Finance, Joe Jackson, has cautioned against relying solely on force to address illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, stressing the need for a more holistic and sustainable approach.
Speaking at Joy Business’ end-of-year economic forum on Thursday, December 18, Mr Jackson said the fight against galamsey must go beyond armed task forces and the destruction of equipment to include policies that make legal and responsible mining viable for affected communities.
According to him, the persistence of illegal mining raises critical questions about why the activity remains attractive to many people, despite its dangers and illegality.
“People engage in illegal mining because legal mining does not pay. We have to look at this in a holistic manner. We must end galamsey one way or the other, but we have to ask ourselves: why is galamsey so attractive? It is because doing things legally is not attractive,” he said.
Mr Jackson proposed that some funds from the Gold Board be used to support formalised artisanal mining by providing miners with legal equipment, access to credit and structured systems that allow the state to regulate their activities.
“We must use some of the money from the Gold Board to provide equipment—legal equipment—access to credit and formal artisanal mining communities so that we can start to regulate these operators and still make it profitable. Unless we do that, relying solely on burning excavators and similar measures will not work,” he stated.
He argued that while enforcement is necessary, it should be complemented by programmes that make legal mining economically attractive.
Clarifying his position, Mr Jackson said he was not opposed to law enforcement measures but believed they should not be the only strategy.
“When I talk about the fight against illegal mining, I’m not saying arming the task force—that’s one side of the fight. I’m talking about looking at these communities and asking: how do we get artisanal mining to work in a way that is legal and sustainable?” he explained.
He further outlined the need to organise miners into cooperatives, provide them with access to credit and modern equipment, and ensure environmentally responsible mining practices.
“How do we provide them access to credit? How do we organise them into cooperatives? How do we give them proper equipment? How do we help them mine in ways that will not destroy the environment or pollute rivers? It’s a conversation we must have. The gun and the fire have their place, but ultimately we must also have a programme that engages and supports these communities,” he said.
Mr Jackson also highlighted the human cost of illegal mining, describing many galamsey operators as victims of circumstance.
“People are not mining because they want to harm themselves. For many, it feels like the only alternative. Some are working without any protective equipment, exposing themselves to kidney failure, birth defects and all manner of cancers,” he noted.
He added that illegal mining is destroying the very environments in which these miners live.
“In addition, they are polluting the very waters in the areas where they live. This problem cannot be solved only with guns and destruction,” he stressed.
Drawing comparisons with other countries, Mr Jackson said Ghana could learn from initiatives elsewhere on the continent.
“There has to be a platform, and lessons can be drawn from countries such as South Africa, where programmes have worked. Galamsey is a problem across West Africa and the continent; it is not unique to Ghana. There are other places we can learn from, particularly South Africa, where significant strides have been made in organising artisanal miners to reduce illegal mining,” he said.
He called for a balanced approach that combines enforcement with economic and social interventions to sustainably address the galamsey menace.
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