Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ken Ashigbey, has urged the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) to strengthen its traceability systems to ensure that gold produced through illegal mining does not enter the formal market.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, August 6, he underscored the essence of effective traceability measures to the fight against illegal mining, stressing that GoldBod has a key role to play in preventing the purchase of gold from unlawful sources.

“I think it’s also taking too long for us to get our traceability sorted out at home. Hoping that the Gold Board will work on that so that gold that is from illegal sources is not purchased,” he said.

Mr Ashigbey also expressed concern about what he described as inadequate resources for the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to effectively tackle illegal mining.

According to him, while  government agencies continue to confront the menace, the Ministry requires greater logistical and financial support to carry out its mandate effectively.

“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 stated.

Beyond resourcing, the Chamber of Mines CEO stressed the need for stronger enforcement against individuals involved in illegal mining, arguing that the lack of visible sanctions undermines efforts to curb the practice.

“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 added.

Ken Ashigbey urged authorities to strike a balance by ensuring that legitimate mining companies are able to operate responsibly while intensifying efforts to protect the country’s water bodies and natural resources from the destructive effects of illegal mining.

His comments come a year after the helicopter crash at Adansi Asokwa in the Ashanti Region, which claimed the lives of eight people, including two ministers of state, during an official assignment linked to the fight against illegal mining.