Decade without regulations ends as GGSA gets new legal framework

The Ghana Geological Survey Authority (GGSA) has entered a new phase of institutional development after seven Legislative Instruments (L.I.s) came into force to govern its operations.

The instruments came into force on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, according to a letter from the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice.

The letter, dated September 4, 2026, and signed by the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, directed the Managing Director of the Ghana Publishing Company Limited (Assembly Press) to print and publish the Regulations.

This reporter understands that the letter was received by the GGSA on September 29, 2026.

The seven Regulations are: the Ghana Geological Survey Authority (Categories of Large Scale Geological Maps) Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2526); the Ghana Geological Survey Authority (Earthquake Monitoring and Seismic Investigation) Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2527); the Ghana Geological Survey Authority (Geological Information and Licensing Agreements) Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2528); the Ghana Geological Survey Authority (Ground Investigation) Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2529); the Ghana Geological Survey Authority (Geoscientific Standards and Codes of Practice) Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2530); the Ghana Geological Survey Authority (Designation of Geoheritage and Geological Heritage Sites) Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2531); and the Ghana Geological Survey Authority (Mineral Resources Exploration to Pre-Feasibility Study Stage) Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2532).

The coming into force of the Regulations, which were laid before and approved for commencement by Parliament pursuant to Article 11(7) of the 1992 Constitution, brings to an end a decade-long period during which the Authority operated without a comprehensive regulatory framework.

The GGSA was established as a body corporate under the Ghana Geological Survey Authority Act, 2016 (Act 928), but had since operated without the requisite L.I.s to fully operationalise the Act.

The approval of the seven instruments now provides the Authority with a clearer legal and technical foundation to regulate, conduct research and provide geoscientific advice in support of national development.

Under the leadership of the Director-General, Dr Prosper Akaba, the Authority has intensified efforts, in collaboration with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and other relevant stakeholders, to address the longstanding regulatory gap.

Those efforts have now culminated in the passage and commencement of the instruments.

Reacting to the development, Dr Akaba said: "These Regulations mark a turning point in the history of an institution whose work has implications for mineral development, environmental protection, land-use planning and public safety."

He commended the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Lawyer Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, for his leadership and instrumental role in facilitating the process.

Stakeholders in Ghana's geoscientific and extractive sector have welcomed the development, describing it as a significant policy intervention that will strengthen governance, sustainability and long-term development of the country's natural resources.

The GGSA traces its origins to 1913 when it was established as the Gold Coast Geological Survey. It became the Geological Survey Department in 1962 before transitioning into an Authority under Act 928 in 2016.

The Authority is mandated to provide reliable, up-to-date geological information, promote sustainable exploration and management of mineral resources, and advise government on geoscientific matters, including earthquake monitoring and geo-hazards.