The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, has revealed that 907 licences issued to small-scale mining firms are currently under review as part of efforts to clamp down on illegal mining and enforce regulatory compliance across the sector.

Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Wednesday, 23 July, Mr Buah explained that the licences are being reviewed due to procedural irregularities in their registration.

“907 out of 1,278 small-scale licences are now under review for possible revocation due to irregularities identified by the Small-Scale Mining Review Committee,” he said.

The Minister also disclosed that 55 licences had already been revoked.

“It must be noted that 55 small-scale mining licences, issued during the transitional period, were revoked at the beginning of the year,” he noted.

Mr Buah further announced that a similar audit is underway in the large-scale mining sector to ensure full compliance with regulatory requirements.

“A similar exercise is currently ongoing to review large-scale mining licences to ensure compliance.”

According to the Minister, the ongoing review forms part of a broader strategy to sanitise the mining industry and promote responsible, sustainable operations.

“These measures are all aimed at sanitising the mining sector to ensure transparency and sustainable operations,” he stressed.