By: Akua Oteng Amponsah
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has warned 962 small-scale mining licence holders that their permits will be revoked if they do not resolve identified irregularities within two weeks.
The Minister, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah, announced the ultimatum after receiving a report from a ministerial committee that reviewed the status of small-scale mining licences across the country.
According to the committee’s findings, 316 out of 1,278 licences reviewed were in good standing, while 962 had serious irregularities, including documentation gaps, process anomalies, and data inconsistencies.
“These issues include documentation gaps, process anomalies, and data inconsistencies,” said Paa Kwesi Schandorf, Media Relations Officer at the Ministry.
Minister Armah Kofi-Buah warned that the defective licences will be permanently revoked if the anomalies are not rectified by August 4, 2025.
“This is part of our ongoing efforts to clamp down on illegal mining activities and to preserve Ghana’s natural resources. We will not hesitate to revoke licences where the rules have been breached,” the Minister stated.
He stressed that the Ministry is determined to clean up Ghana’s small-scale mining sector and introduce reforms to the licensing regime to ensure greater transparency and accountability.
“We are committed to sanitising the small-scale mining space, and this is only the beginning. Beyond small-scale mining, we will soon begin a review of large-scale mining licences as well to ensure compliance across the entire sector,” he added.
