President John Mahama has directed the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, to immediately investigate allegations that the Amansie Central District Assembly has been collecting fees from illegal miners operating banned mining equipment.
The directive was announced on X (formerly Twitter) by the Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, in response to a JoyNews Hotline investigation titled “A Tax for Galamsey: The Extortion Racket Fuelling Illegal Mining.” The documentary alleges the authorisation and collection of illegal mining-related taxes in the Amansie Central District.
The report suggests that illegal mining activities in the area are not only being tolerated but allegedly taxed, receipted, and protected through a network involving the District Assembly and a taskforce operating under the authority of the District Chief Executive.
However, the Amansie Central District Assembly has rejected the allegations, insisting that revenue collection from operators of earth-moving equipment is a longstanding administrative practice spanning multiple governments.
The Assembly described the report as a misrepresentation of established procedures aimed at fitting a “convenient political narrative.”
