Paa Kwesi Schandorf is the Media Relations Officer of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources
The Media Relations Officer of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Paa Kwesi Schandorf, has said investigations into alleged levies charged to galamsey operators in Amansie Central are almost complete.
During an interview with JoyNews on March 2, 2026, he said the probe has reached an advanced stage and that the public should expect answers soon.
“We have come very far. The matter is yet to be thoroughly concluded, but it is far advanced now. I think we’ve been able to dot all the i (s) and cross all the t (s) because we took the response of the assembly into account,” he explained.
According to him, the district assembly involved defended the charges, arguing that the levies were not new.
He said the assembly claimed that “these charges and these levies have long existed and that it wasn’t a new development.”
However, Schandorf raised concerns about the findings of a recent investigative documentary.
“In the exposé that was shown to the whole country, the investigators posed as illegal miners, not legal miners. And so the elephant in the room, and the question to be addressed, is that even if it’s an age-old levy that you have been charging, these people who came to you posed as illegal miners — why then did you interact with them?” he questioned.
He assured that the investigation will be concluded by the end of the week, after which the ministry will announce its decision.
“Closure will be put on that by the close of the week. I’m sure when we are done, we’ll put out the fine details on the relevant sanctions, if any, and the reforms that have to be instituted to kill the matter.
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“Of course, across all other assemblies and districts, because these charges are actually spread to other jurisdictions as well, so by the close of the week, we should have closure on this matter,” he added.
The controversy follows a documentary titled A Tax for Galamsey, produced by Hotline.
The film alleges that illegal mining in the Amansie Central District of the Ashanti Region is not only allowed but also taxed in a structured way.
The documentary claims that illegal miners are made to pay fixed fees about GH₵3,000 for each changfan machine and much higher amounts for excavators in return for operating without interferences.
It further alleges that payments are backed with stickers, official receipts and bank deposits into assembly accounts, raising serious concerns that illegal mining has been turned into a source of revenue.
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Source:
www.ghanaweb.com