Mahama Directs Minister to Probe Alleged ‘Galamsey Tax’ by Amansie Central Assembly After JoyNews Exposé

President John Dramani Mahama has ordered the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, to immediately investigate claims that the Amansie Central District Assembly has been collecting fees from illegal miners operating banned mining equipment.

The directive comes in the wake of a JoyNews Hotline Documentary that exposed what it described as an organised “tax for galamsey” scheme in the Ashanti Region district. According to the investigation, illegal miners allegedly pay up to GH₵6,000 annually to operate changfang machines, despite a nationwide ban on their use.

Changfangs floating mechanised platforms used to wash gold directly in rivers are prohibited due to their severe environmental impact. However, the documentary alleged that local authorities in Amansie Central not only tolerated their operation but also established a task force to issue stickers and levy charges on the illegal equipment.

The investigation documented a structured payment system in which miners reportedly pay thousands of cedis each year in exchange for permission to operate, effectively legitimising activities that pollute major water bodies.

A district revenue officer, popularly known as “Red,” was captured in undercover recordings receiving payments from operators of the banned machines.

In response, the Amansie Central District Assembly denied creating the alleged extortion scheme, insisting that it did not design the system to benefit from illegal mining.

In a statement, the Assembly argued that the revenue collection arrangement predates the current administration and has existed since 2008, describing the exposé as a distortion of a longstanding administrative practice aimed at advancing a “convenient political narrative.”

According to the Assembly, the fees are collected under a bylaw enacted in 2008, with all proceeds paid into its official account at Odotobri Rural Bank.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Local Government Minister received a formal petition from JoyNews regarding the allegations and assured the public that the matter would be investigated swiftly.