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Minister-designate for Environment, Science and Technology, Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, has advocated stronger collaboration among government ministries, departments and agencies to combat illegal mining and reduce its devastating effects on the environment and human lives.
She made the call on Thursday, August 27, 2026, when she appeared before Parliament’s Appointments Committee for her ministerial vetting.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings described the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, as a responsibility that requires the collective efforts of government and society.
She stressed that closer coordination among Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) would help prevent overlapping responsibilities and ensure that interventions are implemented more effectively.
According to her, because illegal mining activities often occur within areas governed at the local level, collaboration with decentralised institutions, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), would be particularly important.
She also proposed regular reporting on measures being implemented to combat illegal mining, saying this would promote transparency and enable authorities to evaluate whether interventions were producing the desired results.
If approved by Parliament, Dr Agyeman-Rawlings said one of her immediate priorities would be to engage ministers whose portfolios are directly linked to the fight against illegal mining.
She identified the Ministries responsible for Lands and Natural Resources and Local Government, among others, as key partners in developing a unified strategy.
She said such engagements would help eliminate a “silo effect” and ensure that all relevant institutions work towards a common goal.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings further indicated that she would engage the EPA to obtain a comprehensive briefing on the current state of illegal mining and the interventions already underway.