The government has stepped up efforts to bring small-scale mining under tighter regulation, with four new mining cooperatives inaugurated in Tarkwa and Bogoso in the Western Region as part of measures to combat illegal mining and create jobs for young people.
The cooperatives, two each in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality and the Prestea-Huni Valley District, were launched on Monday, November 9, 2026, under the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP).
The initiative is expected to provide a structured avenue for community-based mining, improve compliance with mining and environmental regulations and encourage operators to abandon practices that have contributed to the destruction of forests, pollution of water bodies and degradation of farmlands.
Launching the schemes, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, said the future of the country’s mining industry depended not only on the economic returns from mineral extraction but also on the ability of operators to protect the environment and respect the laws governing the sector.
He said the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, required a concerted effort involving government agencies, traditional authorities, mining communities and other stakeholders.
Mr Buah described the introduction of the cooperatives in Tarkwa and Bogoso, two of the country’s established mining centres, as an important move towards giving local communities a greater stake in the management of mineral resources.
He said the programme was intended to demonstrate that mining could provide sustainable livelihoods without leaving behind destroyed ecosystems and communities struggling with the consequences of environmental degradation.
The Minister cautioned that the quest to generate wealth from the country’s mineral deposits should not be allowed to undermine its environmental security.
He disclosed that the destruction of forest reserves across the country was equivalent to an area covering more than 12,000 football fields, describing the scale of environmental damage as a serious concern.
Mr Buah said the country’s rivers, forests and farmlands must be protected from irresponsible mining, particularly illegal small-scale operations, which continue to pose a threat to livelihoods and the natural environment.
He urged mining operators to conduct their activities within the legal and institutional framework, explaining that compliance with mining laws and environmental standards was critical to protecting host communities and building confidence in the sector.
He also called for stronger monitoring and cooperation among stakeholders to prevent illegal operators from exploiting weaknesses in the regulatory system.
According to him, the success of rCOMSDEP would depend largely on the willingness of mining communities to take ownership of the programme, support lawful operations and reject activities that put their environment and livelihoods at risk.
Mr Buah said the government, under President John Dramani Mahama, was committed to managing the country’s mineral resources in a manner that expanded economic opportunities while safeguarding the environment for future generations.
He urged the newly inaugurated cooperatives to uphold discipline, transparency and accountability, adding that the programme must translate into measurable improvements in mining practices and the living conditions of host communities.
The Acting National Coordinator of rCOMSDEP, Mr Sheihu Siddiq, assured the Minister that the programme would intensify efforts to register more cooperatives to enable them to participate formally in the country’s mining industry.
He said expanding the scheme would open up opportunities for young people, create jobs and provide a legitimate pathway for community members to engage in small-scale mining.
For his part, the Western Regional Director of the Department of Cooperatives, Mr Akwasi Adjei Bawuah, formally welcomed the new cooperatives and pledged the department’s support to strengthen their operations.
He said efforts would be made to streamline their activities and ensure that they operated within the required regulatory framework to help address illegal mining in the region.
The Members of Parliament for Tarkwa-Nsuaem and Prestea-Huni Valley, who attended the inauguration, expressed optimism that the programme would improve economic opportunities in their constituencies.
They said the cooperatives had the potential to improve the livelihoods of mining communities and provide employment for the growing number of unemployed young people.
They urged the beneficiaries to make effective use of the opportunity and ensure that the programme achieved its intended objectives.