Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah is the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has disclosed that the government has stepped up regulation of heavy mining equipment entering the country.
According to him, the move aims to curb illegal mining activities and improve accountability in the sector.
Speaking on recent reforms during a visit by Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang to the Ministry on January 27, 2026, Buah explained that until recently, excavators and other earthmoving machines could be imported into Ghana without proper checks.
He added that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) was not registering such equipment, making it difficult to track their use.
That situation has now changed, as imported earthmoving mining equipment is being registered with the DVLA.
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The minister noted that out of 1,800 earthmoving machines registered in the last six months, 1,033 have been fitted with Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking devices to enable real-time monitoring.
Buah said that through collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Finance, and the Customs Division, significant progress has been made in tightening oversight.
“Before, it was free for everybody to bring excavators to Ghana. What was worse was that the DVLA was not registering any equipment. Working closely with the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Finance, and the Customs Division, today I can tell you that 1,800 earthmoving mining machines have been registered in just the last six months, with 1,033 fitted with tracking devices,” he said.
The tracking system is activated at the Tema Port and ensures that each machine operates strictly within its declared destination.
SA/MA
