The Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners Association says the seven-day ultimatum by the Lands Ministry for the registration of all excavators in the country is inadequate. 

According to Association, even though the move is welcome, the deadline is too short. 

The General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners, Godwin Armah, made this known in a media interview on Monday. 

He said it will be difficult for all excavators to be registered within the directive.

“I think the seven days will be difficult, but we can start. I don’t know whether it is with the tracking because most of the machines, as the law says, have been registered. 

Most of them have been registered but with the tracking, they [Minerals Commission] did a pilot, and we have seen that it will work, but it will take some time.”

He, however, urged members who own excavators to do well to register them. 

As part of the registration, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies are to record the name and particulars of the owner of the excavator, the date the excavator was brought into the country, the registration number, the chassis number, the purposes for which the excavator was brought into the country, the area where the excavator is expected to be used and the name and particulars of the current operator and user of the excavator.

The Lands and Natural Resources Ministry on Monday, October 24, issued a directive for owners, users, or operators of excavators across the country to get them registered with the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

This new directive is in line with section 100 (1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703). 

According to the Ministry, this is to help fight the menace of illegal mining, popularly known as ‘galamsey’ and to ensure effective and efficient implementation of the provisions of L.I. 2404.

It was contained in a press statement signed by the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor dated October 24, 2022.

The release indicated that the registration exercise is expected to end across the country on Wednesday, November 2, 2022.