The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, MP, has inaugurated a nine-member Small-Scale Mining License Review Committee to conduct a comprehensive audit of all small-scale mining licenses in Ghana.
Chaired by Deputy Minister Sulemana Yusif, the committee is tasked with scrutinizing licenses to ensure compliance with legal, environmental, and financial regulations. Key areas of review include:
• Due process in license acquisition
• Adherence to environmental standards—ensuring compliance regarding water bodies, forest reserves, and land preservation
• Full payment of permitting fees
During the inauguration, Mr Armah-Kofi Buah emphasized the committee’s critical role in sanitizing the small-scale mining sector and ensuring sustainable benefits for Ghana.
“Your work will expose irregularities in the licensing regime, help restore confidence, and ensure optimum benefits from the sector,” he said.
He, however, indicated that he was open to reviewing the lead time of two months if and when required.
In his acceptance speech, the Chairman of the Committee, Yusif Sulemana, assured the Minister of a rigorous and impartial review within the two-month deadline.
“We recognize the trust placed in us and will ensure transparency to boost investor confidence,” he said, calling on license holders to fully cooperate with the process.
The committee includes experts from the:
- Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation
- Minerals Commission
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Water Resources Commission
- Forestry Commission
- Office of the Attorney General
- Association of Small-Scale Miners
- Ghana Chamber of Mines
A final report is expected by June 2025, marking a pivotal step in Ghana’s efforts to regulate small-scale mining and combat illegal operations.
