55 small-scale mining licenses revoked, over 900 under investigation – Armah-Kofi Buah

Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has announced that 55 small-scale mining licences issued during the transitional period were revoked earlier this year, with hundreds more currently under scrutiny.

Speaking at the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Wednesday, July 23, the Minister disclosed that a comprehensive audit by the Small-Scale Mining Review Committee has placed 907 out of 1,278 active licences under investigation due to irregularities. “Additionally, 907 out of 1,278 licences are now under review for possible revocation due to irregularities identified by the Small-Scale Mining Review Committee,” Buah noted.

He added that a similar audit is underway for large-scale mining operations to ensure compliance with environmental and legal standards.

“These measures are designed to sanitise the mining sector, ensuring transparency and sustainable operations,” Buah stated, reaffirming the government’s commitment to reforming the industry.

The Ministry has collaborated with national security agencies, including the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Armed Forces, and the National Security Secretariat, to seize 425 excavators and various machines used in illegal mining. Nationwide, 1,345 arrests have been made, with prosecutions actively progressing.

The crackdown has been intense in Ghana’s forest reserves, with authorities confiscating 177 excavators, 4 bulldozers, 12 vehicles, 43 motorcycles, 155 pumping machines, 184 changfangs, 15 detector machines, and 10 heavy-duty generators. In these forest zones alone, 286 individuals have been arrested.

The Minister indicated that the Attorney-General will provide further updates on prosecution status.

Buah reconfirmed the government’s pledge to revive integrity in Ghana’s mining sector, preserve natural resources, and ensure environmental sustainability.