Government Orders Review of All Small-Scale Mining Licenses

The government has initiated a sweeping audit of all small-scale mining licenses in Ghana to ensure compliance with legal, environmental and financial regulations.

Key areas of review include due process in license acquisition, adherence to due process – ensure they meet all conditions of continuous validity with respect to environmental standards (water bodies, forest reserves, and land preservation) and the full payment of permitting fees.

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah who inaugurated a Nine-Member Small-Scale Mining License Review Committee to conduct the comprehensive audit on Wednesday in Accra noted that the committee has an important role in sanitizing the small-scale mining sector and ensuring sustainable benefits for the nation.

“Your work will expose irregularities in the licensing regime, help restore confidence, and ensure optimum benefits from the sector. He however indicated that he was open to reviewing the lead time of two months if and when required,” he said.

The Deputy Minister and Chairman of the Committee, Mr Yusif Sulemana in his acceptance speech called on license holders to fully cooperate with the review process and 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 added.

The committee includes experts from Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, Minerals Commission, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Water Resources Commission, Forestry Commission, Office of the Attorney General, Association of Small-Scale Miners and Ghana Chamber of Mines.

Irene Wirekoaa Osei, ISD