Lands Minister hands over new district office for Minerals Commission at Damang

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, on Monday, August 17, 2026, handed over a new GH¢12.3 million district office of the Minerals Commission to the people of Damang in the Prestea Huni-Valley Constituency of the Western Region.

The state-of-the-art facility, which houses administrative offices, meeting rooms and other support infrastructure, is the fifth district office established by the Commission in the Western Region.

The project forms part of the government’s decentralisation agenda to bring mining regulatory services, technical support and monitoring closer to mining communities.

Regulations brought to the doorstep

Handing over the facility, Armah-Kofi Buah, who is also the MP for Ellembelle, said the office demonstrates the government’s commitment to ensuring that mining communities in the Damang-Huni Valley-Aboso enclave have direct access to Minerals Commission services.

“For too long, the full spectrum of the Commission's services has been a distant prospect for many in our region. We are changing that narrative,” he said.

He noted that it was no longer acceptable for people to travel to Accra to obtain licences while local chiefs and communities remained uninformed.

“This is the new dawn for mining in Ghana—a bottom-up approach. Even large-scale operations like Damang Mine can now access basic services here in the district,” he added.

The Minister also disclosed that more than 32 new district Lands Commission offices had been opened nationwide over the past year as part of the same decentralisation drive.

Mining law reforms announced

Armah-Kofi Buah said the Ministry had laid a new bill before Parliament to reform the mining sector.

Key provisions include reducing the maximum mining lease duration from 30 years to 20 years, abolishing reconnaissance licences and strengthening district mining committees.

Under the proposed law, exploration licences will run for five years.

“If you can't find the gold, we'll take the licence and try a new person. It's as simple as that,” he said.

He stressed that all mining licence applications, including those for medium-scale operations, must now begin at the district level.

Stakeholders welcome move

The Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Isaac Tandoh, said the Damang office represents a major step towards modernising mineral governance.

“A mandate exercised only from the capital is a mandate only half-fulfilled. This office will make licensing, inspections and environmental monitoring a local service,” he said.

The Deputy CEO, Emmanuel Anyimah, described the facility as a bold investment in service delivery at the district level.

The MP for Prestea-Huni-Valley, Wisdom Cudjoe, and the Chief of Damang, Nana Kwaku Armah, welcomed the new office and appealed for more job opportunities for residents.