Ghana to Audit Small-Scale Mining Licenses in Reform Effort

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has announced a comprehensive plan to reform and regulate Ghana’s small-scale mining sector through stricter compliance measures.

Speaking at a press briefing on March 19, the minister revealed the establishment of a Technical Small-Scale Mining Review Committee to assess all small-scale mining licenses nationwide. The initiative aims to promote environmentally responsible and legally compliant mining activities.

The committee, led by the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, will conduct a thorough audit of existing licenses to ensure they were acquired through due process and remain valid under Ghana’s mining regulations.

“The committee is to audit all licenses to ensure that they were properly acquired, that due process was followed, that they meet all conditions of continuous validity,” Armah-Kofi Buah stated.

He emphasized that the review will focus on environmental protection, including the impact of mining on water bodies, forest reserves, and land preservation. The audit will also ensure that mining operators comply with permitting requirements from regulatory agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Minerals Commission, and Water Resources Commission.

“All those standards are going to be the guide in which these licenses will be sustained,” the minister added.

This initiative forms part of the government’s broader efforts to curb illegal mining, enhance accountability, and protect Ghana’s natural resources.