Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has warned of the possible revocation of 962 small-scale mining licenses as part of efforts to combat illegal mining.
According to the Media Relations Officer at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Paa Kwesi Schandorf, the minister made this announcement following a committee’s report on the status of small-scale mining licenses across the country.
The committee, established to review existing mining licenses, presented its report to the minister at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources on Monday, July 21, 2025.
According to the committee’s report, a total of 1,278 licenses were reviewed, of which 316 were cleared of any irregularities.
However, the remaining 962 were found to have multiple irregularities, ranging from documentation gaps and process anomalies to data quality issues.
Reacting to this, the minister warned that all 962 defective licenses will be permanently revoked within two weeks if the anomalies are not rectified.
He further indicated that his office is determined to preserve the environment and will take all necessary steps against persons who flout mining regulations.
He also added that stringent measures are being implemented to reform the entire licensing regime as part of efforts to sanitize mining across the country.
The minister is expected to provide further clarity on the latest directive on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, during the Government Accountability Series at Jubilee House, Accra.
Meanwhile, a review of large-scale mining licenses is also expected to begin to address irregularities in the large-scale mining sector.