Due to the devastating effects of illegal mining (galamsey) on its operations, Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL) has expressed grave concerns.
The company’s management has issued a warning that about 600 employees may lose their jobs if the situation is not resolved right away.
Following GREL’s 2024 annual general meeting with the Association of Chiefs on whose land GREL operates (ACLANGO) in Agona Nkwanta, Perry Acheampong, the company’s corporate affairs manager, told Angel TV that illicit mining operations have negatively affected GREL’s water supplies and rubber plantations.
According to him, the company’s rubber plantations have been devastated by galamsey operators, making it challenging to sustain production levels. Furthermore, the company’s factories, which mainly depend on clean water for the processing of rubber, are seriously threatened by the pollution of water bodies caused by illegal miners.
Mr. Acheampong further revealed that contaminated water has already started to harm GREL’s machinery at one of its factories. He added that in order to stop additional harm, the business had to temporarily halt operations.
He has therefore issued a warning that the impacted factory may have to permanently close, leaving roughly 600 workers without jobs, unless immediate action is taken to stop illicit mining activities.
“We depend heavily on water for rubber processing, and with galamsey polluting our main water sources, our machines are at serious risk of damage. If the situation continues, we may have no choice but to shut down the factory, which will impact over 600 workers and their families,” he stressed.
As a result of this issue, GREL is facing mounting pressure to supply its catchment communities with drinkable water. In order to meet the increasing demand for clean water, the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) budget has increased significantly, rising from roughly GH₵4.6 million in 2024 to GH₵6.6 million in 2025.
As long as illegal mining continues to jeopardize the company’s core production activities, he complained, this will put a tremendous burden on the business.
One of Ghana’s biggest agribusinesses, GREL is essential to the country’s economic development and job creation. But galamsey’s growing threat still threatens its viability, necessitating immediate action to safeguard the sector and the livelihoods it sustains.
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