A coalition of civil society organisations is calling on the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to take decisive action against illegal mining by restricting fuel supplies to galamsey operators.
In a petition dated April 18, 2026, and addressed to the Chief Executive of the NPA, Edudzi Tamakloe, the Coalition Against Galamsey, Ghana, argued that illegal mining continues to thrive largely due to steady access to diesel, which powers excavators used in forest reserves and water bodies.
“If we are to save our water bodies, forests, and the health of our people from this ecocide, we must cut the supply lines,” the coalition stated.
The group noted that despite efforts to control the importation of excavators, an estimated 7,000 untracked machines remain in operation across mining areas, sustained by what it described as unchecked fuel supply chains.
According to the coalition, diesel serves as the “lifeblood” of illegal mining, stressing that cutting access to fuel would significantly weaken such operations.
Led by convenor Kenneth Ashigbey, the group also raised concerns about the unusually high concentration of fuel stations in galamsey-prone communities. It said some remote mining areas appear to have more fuel outlets per capita than major urban centres like Accra and Tema.
“It is evident that these stations exist primarily to service illegal mining,” the petition stated, alleging that some Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) are failing to enforce Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements for bulk fuel purchases.
The coalition further referenced provisions in the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended by Act 995, warning that individuals who facilitate illegal mining activities could face up to 25 years in prison.
It is therefore demanding urgent regulatory measures from the NPA, including data-driven audits of fuel distribution in mining hotspots, revocation of licences of non-compliant OMCs, stricter enforcement of KYC protocols, and enhanced collaboration with security agencies to track suspicious fuel movements.
The group also called for the prosecution of directors of companies found complicit, as well as increased enforcement of environmental protection laws.
“We cannot allow the environment to be murdered for profit,” the coalition said. “While we support legal, registered small-scale mining, we must starve illegal miners of the one resource they cannot do without — fuel.”
The coalition maintains that targeting fuel supply networks could significantly disrupt illegal mining.
“If we cut the fuel, we cut the lifeline. If we cut the lifeline, we save Ghana.”
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