Small-scale miners need support, not just licences and taxes - Denis Gyeyir

Governments must go beyond issuing licences and collecting taxes from artisanal and small-scale miners if they want the sector to create jobs, generate revenue and reduce environmental damage, Denis Gyeyir of the Open Society Foundations has said.

Speaking to journalists at the Mining in Motion summit on October 21, 2026, he said bringing miners into the formal economy must include practical support to help them operate safely and efficiently.

“Formalisation should not be seen as a way of just licensing and getting revenue from ASM operators. Formalisation has to be seen from a support perspective,” he stated.

Gyeyir, a programme manager with the foundation’s Resources Futures in Africa programme, said governments should organise, support, license, monitor and regulate miners while ensuring that the benefits contribute to national development.

He said up to 225 million people worldwide depended directly or indirectly on artisanal and small-scale mining, with about 18.2 million people involved in the sector in Africa.

He cited Ghana’s GoldBod as an example of how better organisation of the gold trade could help generate foreign exchange and revenue for the economy.

“When we harness it very well, we are able to use it as a tool for national development and to feed global value chains,” he said.

However, he cautioned against treating artisanal and small-scale mining as inherently criminal, stressing that the sector should be distinguished from illegal mining.

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“In some cases, we see ASM misconstrued as illegal mining, but the two are not the same,” he said.

He urged governments to establish clear legal frameworks that recognise the sector and provide a safe environment for lawful operations.

Gyeyir said combining legal recognition with practical support and effective oversight would help protect communities while enabling miners to contribute more to economic development.

DR/MA

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