Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, announced on March 19, 2025, that all small-scale mining licenses granted after December 7, 2024, have been revoked, citing procedural irregularities in the approval process.

The move is part of a broader government initiative to combat illegal mining and enforce stricter regulations within the sector. Buah emphasized that the licenses issued post-December 7 were granted hastily and without proper due process. The government is also implementing measures such as tighter controls on excavator imports, a ban on the fabrication and importation of floating mining equipment, and other regulatory reforms to address the issue.

“The findings are clear: these licenses were rushed, and due processes were not followed,” Buah said. He added that the current community mining schemes would be dismantled and replaced with small-scale mining cooperatives aimed at benefiting local communities directly.

The revocation of the mining licenses comes amid ongoing political tension over mining-related legislation. In Parliament on March 18, 2025, the Minority blocked the presentation of Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, which would strip the President of the authority to approve mining activities in forest reserves. The disagreement delayed the laying of the L.I. before the House, with Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin calling for a pre-laying procedure to ensure proper parliamentary procedures were followed.

“Mr. Speaker, I urge you to place the application on hold and direct the minister to follow the pre-laying process before it is formally introduced,” Afenyo-Markin stated.

Former Lands Minister Samuel Abu Jinapor supported the Minority’s stance, arguing that a thorough review was necessary given the widespread mining occurring in Ghana’s forest reserves.

However, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga countered that the L.I. was a straightforward regulation, requiring no pre-laying process, and warned that further delays would hinder efforts to tackle the environmental degradation caused by illegal mining. Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, echoing his colleague’s concerns, described the galamsey crisis as a national emergency requiring immediate action.

After intense debate, First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor ruled that a three-day pre-laying process must be observed. The Subsidiary Legislation Committee has been tasked with reviewing the L.I. and reporting back by March 20, 2025.

Source:TheDotNews