The Minister nominee for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has pledged to conduct a comprehensive review of Ghana’s mining licensing regime to address issues affecting the sector.

Speaking during his vetting in Parliament on Monday, 27th January 2025, Mr Buah highlighted flaws in the current licensing process, which he said have contributed to environmental damage and inefficiencies.

“When I am approved as the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, my intention is to undertake a holistic review of the licensing regime,” he stated.

“There is so much duplication in the issuing of licenses. For instance, you can have one individual holding up to 50 licenses, and when you combine their operations in contiguous areas, it could amount to large-scale mining, even though they are classified as small-scale miners.”

Mr Buah stressed the need for re-categorising mining licenses to better regulate the industry. He pointed out that some of the pollution of water bodies and destruction of the environment is caused not only by illegal miners but also by individuals with small-scale mining licenses who violate regulations.

“We must focus on addressing these issues, ensuring better supervision and monitoring of miners. By organising the sector and using modern technology, we can reduce the challenges we’ve faced,” he added.