The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, MP, has inaugurated a nine-member Small-Scale Mining License Review Committee to conduct a comprehensive audit of all small-scale mining licenses in Ghana.
Chaired by the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Sulemana Yusif, the Committee is tasked with scrutinizing licenses to ensure compliance with legal, environmental, and financial regulations.
Key areas of review include:
Due process in license acquisition
Adherence to environmental standards, particularly concerning water bodies, forest reserves, and land preservation
Full payment of permitting fees
During the inauguration, Armah-Kofi Buah emphasized the committee’s critical role in sanitizing the small-scale mining sector and ensuring sustainable benefits for Ghana.
“Your work will expose irregularities in the licensing regime, help restore confidence, and ensure optimum benefits from the sector,” he stated.
He also indicated his openness to reviewing the initial two-month lead time if necessary.
In his acceptance speech, Committee Chairman Sulemana Yusif assured the Minister of a rigorous and impartial review process within the set timeframe.
“We recognize the trust placed in us and will ensure transparency to boost investor confidence,” he said, calling on license holders to fully cooperate with the process.
The committee comprises experts from the following institutions:
Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation
Minerals Commission
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Water Resources Commission
Forestry Commission
Office of the Attorney General
Association of Small-Scale Miners
Ghana Chamber of Mines
A final report is expected by June 2025, marking a pivotal step in Ghana’s efforts to regulate small-scale mining and combat illegal operations.
Source: GNA
