Resumen
This paper aims to provide a comparative study on the Ghanaian small-scale gold mining industry in the Bibiani, Bolgatanga, Dunkwa and Tarkwa Districts of the Minerals Commission of Ghana. Variations in production, employment, number of licensed operators/concessions were the main focus of the paper. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to 1) test for the means of equality for the period 2005 to 2008 in order to find the column effect and 2) test for the means of equality between the mining districts (distance) to help find the column effect. It then looks at the structure-conduct-performance to explain the differences in the mining districts. The paper concludes that even though the small-scale mining sector in Ghana is beset with a number of challenges, it should be recognised as a significant generator of rural livelihoods that has the potential to alleviate poverty and be a tool for sustainable development. Assistance based on an integrated approach that considers operational, financial, organisational, social, economic, legal, technical and environmental issues should be offered to enhance small-scale gold mining operations in Ghana.