The Ghana Mineworkers’ Union (GMWU) says all legal and regulatory hurdles facing Heath Goldfields have been cleared, paving the way for the company to resume full operations at the Bogoso-Prestea mine.

Speaking on Joy News’ AM Show on Tuesday, General Secretary of the Union, Abdul-Moomin Gbana, said the regulatory process around the mine has been exhaustive and lawful, leaving no basis for further delays.

“I think it’s important to place on record that the concerned citizens of Bogoso and Prestea are not regulated,” he said.

“The Minerals Commission is the regulator and is in charge of ensuring that if the mine is not operating according to plan, it will call that mine to order.”

The Bogoso-Prestea mine has been at the centre of public agitation following operational shutdowns, job losses, and delays in regulatory approvals after Heath Goldfields took over the asset.

Community concerns intensified over uncertainty about permits and the company’s readiness to restart mining activities.

Mr Gbana said government responded to those concerns through formal processes rather than public pressure.

“I recall quite recently, when some of these agitations began, the minister constituted a committee, which was led by the chief director of the ministry, and they did some thorough due diligence on Heath Goldfields,” he said.

He explained that the review followed concerns raised over the absence of a mining operating permit at the time.

“After the committee completed its work, the minister was satisfied, the government was satisfied, and went ahead and issued the mining operating permit,” he said.

Mr Gbana stressed that mining operations in Ghana are strictly governed by law and cannot proceed without the required approvals.

“It’s important for all of us to understand that we are regulated by law,” he said. “Heath Goldfields cannot do things outside the law.”

He added that operating without permits would amount to a clear violation.

“If it doesn’t have the required permits and licence, Heath Goldfields cannot go ahead to mine. If you do so, you contravene the law,” he said.

According to him, delays in restarting operations were directly linked to the regulatory process.

“Not until Heath Goldfields got a mining operating permit, which is just about three to four weeks ago, Heath Goldfields virtually put the place in an operational region,” he said.

He said additional regulatory clearance followed shortly after.

“The EPA permit was also subsequently issued to them,” he added.

With both permits now secured, Mr Gbana said there should be no further excuses.

“Now that they have all the permits in accordance with Ghanaian law, I do not see why Heath Goldfields would have any excuse in hitting the ground running,” he said.

He expressed confidence in the company’s ability to revive the mine and restore its contribution to workers and the state.

“I’m confident that with all these things out of the way now, Heath Goldfields should be able to turn around that mine and ensure that we benefit fully from it,” he said.