Editor's Note: The story has been updated to reflect the exact number of excavators the minister indicated was sea-borne en route to Ghana.

Ghana's Minister for Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, has disclosed that approximately 1,200 excavators are currently stranded at the Tema Port, awaiting clearance.

This development follows a government-imposed halt on the clearance of excavators as part of efforts to combat illegal mining, known locally as galamsey.

Speaking to Evans Mensah on JoyFM's News Night on Thursday, June 5, Mr. Nikpe revealed that intelligence reports suggest close to 3,000 additional excavators are sea-borne and en route to Ghana.

The influx, he warned, poses a serious threat to the country's environment and its ongoing fight against illegal mining.

The Government of Ghana has imposed an immediate ban on the importation of excavators. The Transport Ministry, in a statement signed by Mr. Nikpe, announced the implementation of a new policy dubbed “No Permit, No Excavator”, which takes effect immediately.

Under the directive:

• All shipping lines are prohibited from transporting excavators into Ghana without prior approval.
• Dealers and importers must secure permits from the Ministry of Transport before bringing such machinery into the country.
• Enforcement agencies have been instructed to ensure strict compliance, with violators facing legal consequences.

“The directive is aimed at protecting our water bodies and forest reserves,” the statement said, citing the devastating environmental impact of unregulated mining activities, particularly the use of heavy-duty earth-moving equipment in unauthorized mining operations.

Mr. Nikpe reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to enforcing maritime laws and working with the Ghana Maritime Authority to monitor all incoming shipments.

He also called on stakeholders to adhere to the new regulations, stressing that the government will not tolerate actions that compromise the nation's natural resources.

This clampdown forms part of a broader national agenda to restore degraded lands, preserve water bodies, and uphold the rule of law in Ghana’s extractive sector.