The Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASSM) has appealed to both the Majority and Minority in Parliament to protect recent gains in the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) gold market, warning against actions that could undermine progress for short-term political interests.
In a statement issued on Thursday, GNASSM said lawmakers should resist external influence and instead focus on leveraging Ghana’s natural resources to strengthen the national economy.
The Association said it had closely followed a press conference by the Minority titled “The Golden Betrayal: A National Demand for Answers, Transparency and Accountability,” and sought to clarify issues surrounding state gold-purchase programmes.
GNASSM cited data from the Precious Minerals Marketing Company indicating that 63.6 metric tonnes of ASM gold were exported in 2024 under the previous administration’s Gold-for-Oil and Gold-for-Reserves programmes, a year in which the Bank of Ghana recorded losses. Under the current administration’s Domestic Gold Purchase Programme, the Association said 101 metric tonnes of ASM gold had been exported as at December 23, 2025, with the central bank also recording losses.
According to GNASSM, the figures show that ASM gold trading should not be judged solely on annual profit-and-loss outcomes, but on broader macroeconomic, social and governance benefits.
The miners’ group commended President John Mahama’s government for establishing the Ghana Gold Board (Goldbod), saying the institution has sanitised downstream gold trading and strengthened local participation in the sector. GNASSM listed outcomes including the exclusion of foreigners from direct trading in ASM gold, improved collaboration between miners and regulators, capacity-building in sustainable mining practices, transparent real-time pricing, and improved liquidity to reduce smuggling.
The Association also said enhanced government capacity to purchase gold locally was helping to curb money laundering and the financing of terrorism, while allowing more of the trade’s profits to remain in Ghana.
“Today, the ASM gold market and the small-scale mining space are largely controlled by Ghanaians, facilitating the build-up of domestic capital,” the statement said, adding that this could support the growth of small-scale operations into larger mines over time.
GNASSM cautioned politicians “on all sides” to allow miners and legitimate gold traders to operate within the current transparent framework, noting that Parliament had passed the Ghana Gold Board Act on a non-partisan basis. The Association called for continued support for Goldbod and related institutions to help address foreign exchange and reserve challenges.
“The small-scale miners are not happy at all about what is happening and its adverse effect on the market,” the statement said, warning that political disputes were distracting industry players from their work.
The statement was signed by GNASSM General Secretary Godwin N. Amarh.
