Deputy Lands Minister calls for urgent review of Ghana’s mining laws

Alhaji Yusuf Sulemana, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, says it's time for Ghana to make amendments to the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) to reflect the country’s evolving mining landscape.

He said the Act 703 was enacted years ago, and while the country had made progress, the time had come to revisit Act 703, to ensure the law addressed current realities.

Alhaji Sulemana made the remarks during a stakeholder engagement with the media on the review of Ghana’s 2014 mining policy and proposed legal amendments, held in Kitase in the Eastern Region.

The workshop was organised by the Minerals Commission was for selected journalists across the country.

It formed part of the collaboration between the Commission and the Ghana Journalists Association to build the capacity of Journalists to acquaint themselves with the operations of the Commission.

Participants will also be expected to share their experiences with colleagues who have not had the opportunity for such programmes.

Alhaji Sulemana cited the establishment of the Mineral Development Fund in 2016 as a key milestone, noting that it provided a framework for distributing royalties to communities affected by mining.

He underscored the importance of aligning legal reforms with development initiatives in mining districts.

Alhaji Sulemana said the essence of the amendments was to ensure national ownership, saying this would ensure that all Ghanaians were part of the process to facilitate seamless implementation.

Also speaking at the event, outgoing Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Martin Kwaku Ayisi, criticized existing provisions on development and stability agreements, describing them as “terrible” and in need of urgent reform.

He noted that while several African countries have adopted Ghana’s model for prospecting licences, they have implemented it more effectively.

He said a new provision has been proposed that would limit the renewal of prospecting licences to two terms following the initial three-year period, capping the total duration at nine years.

Albert Dwumfour, President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), commended the Minerals Commission for its initiative to train media practitioners on the Commission’s laws and operations.

He urged journalists to intensify their monitoring of mining activities across the country and play a stronger role in safeguarding the environment, noting that “illegal mining activities have begun consuming us, and we must mount pressure and hold duty bearers accountable.”

Dwumfour encouraged participants to take full advantage of the training to deepen their understanding of mining regulations and improve the quality and accuracy of their reportage on the sector.