The Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASSM) has appealed to politicians across the political divide to protect the gains made in the artisanal and small-scale mining gold sector, warning against actions that could undermine progress achieved so far.
In a statement issued in Accra on Thursday, January 1, 2026, and signed by its General Secretary, Godwin Nickleson Armah, the association said the sector’s contribution to the national economy should not be judged narrowly on the basis of annual profit and loss figures recorded by the Bank of Ghana.
GNASSM noted that although the central bank recorded losses in its involvement in ASM gold trading in both 2024 and 2025, export volumes and broader economic benefits showed significant improvement under successive government programmes.
“GNASSM wishes to place on record that under the previous administration, when the Gold-for-Oil and Gold-for-Reserves programmes were rolled out, data from the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) indicated that in 2024, 63.6 metric tons of ASM gold were exported, and in that same year the Bank of Ghana recorded losses. Under the current administration, through the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme, 101 metric tons of ASM gold had been exported as of 23rd December 2025, and the Bank of Ghana has also recorded losses. These figures show clearly that ASM gold trading cannot be assessed solely on a narrow accounting basis of profit and loss in a single year. Its broader macroeconomic, social, and governance benefits must be taken into account,” the statement said.
The association said it had closely followed recent political commentary on the gold sector, including a press conference by the Minority in Parliament, and cautioned both the Majority and Minority against allowing what it described as external influences to derail efforts to reposition the national economy through responsible resource management.
GNASSM commended the government of President John Dramani Mahama for establishing the Ghana Gold Board, known as Goldbod, describing it as a critical step towards sanitising downstream gold trading and strengthening Ghanaian control of the ASM gold market.
According to the association, Goldbod’s interventions have helped exclude foreigners from direct trading in ASM supplied gold, improved pricing transparency and ensured that small scale miners receive fair and competitive market prices.
GNASSM warned against the politicisation of the sector and urged lawmakers to rally behind existing reforms rather than reopen debates that could destabilise the market.
“We know that parliamentarians are fully aware of the object and mandate of the Goldbod and are also aware of the non-partisan approach you all used in passing the Ghana Gold Board Act. We therefore don’t expect a debate at this stage but support to build the Gold trading and related sector. We also expect a united front that focuses on support to the Goldbod and other institutions to address our foreign exchange and reserves needs to give us the space to develop Ghana,” the statement said.
The association stressed that the ASM gold sector is now largely controlled by Ghanaians and has the potential to build domestic capital, expand small-scale operations into larger mines and improve social conditions across mining communities.
GNASSM cautioned that persistent negative criticism of the sector was already affecting market confidence and distracting operators from their work.
“The small-scale miners are not happy at all about what is happening and it adverse effect on the market since our players are being derailed instead of being allowed to focus and execute their work for mother Ghana,” the statement added.
The association reiterated its call for political actors to allow miners and legitimate gold traders to operate within what it described as an orderly and transparent framework that supports national development.
