Ken Ashigbey urges GoldBod to clock illegally sourced gold
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ken Ashigbey, has highlighted the importance of a robust gold traceability framework in tackling illegal mining and preventing illegally sourced gold from entering Ghana’s official supply chain.
His comments come a year after the military helicopter crash at Adansi Akrofuom in the Ashanti Region, which resulted in the deaths of eight people, including two government ministers, while they were on an official assignment connected to efforts to address illegal mining.
Mr Ashigbey said a reliable traceability system would improve transparency within the gold sector, strengthen accountability and help protect Ghana’s mining industry from the negative consequences of illegal mining activities.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, August 6, 2026, the Chamber of Mines CEO expressed concern that the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources lacks the necessary resources to effectively combat illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
He called for increased financial support and logistical capacity for the ministry to enable it to respond more effectively to the growing threat.
“We really are not seeing the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources getting the amount of resources it needs to be able to do what it has to do. That is not happening, and it is something we really need to look into if we want to deal with the problem,” he said.
Mr Ashigbey also criticised the lack of consequences for persons engaged in illegal mining, arguing that failure to hold offenders accountable encourages more people to participate in the illegal activity.
“We cannot allow people to be clearly involved in illegal mining and nothing seems to happen to them. The time has come for the media to also put out some of these names and ask what is happening to these people, so that everyone knows there are repercussions for doing the wrong thing,” he stated.
He further appealed to authorities to intensify efforts to protect Ghana’s water bodies, forests and other natural resources, while creating an environment where responsible mining companies can operate sustainably.
Mr Ashigbey stressed that combining stronger enforcement measures with effective gold tracking mechanisms would be critical to restoring confidence in Ghana’s mining sector and ensuring that only responsibly sourced gold enters the market.
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