The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has announced the revocation of all small-scale mining licences issued after December 7, 2024, citing irregularities in the issuance process.

Speaking at a joint press briefing on March 19, 2025, Mr Buah stated that these licences were granted without due process, making their cancellation necessary.

“Now, we are going full steam ahead to revoke all licences based on the findings. Even all licences it’s mostly licences that were issued from December 7 that is hereby revoked, whether you have EPA licences or not, because the finding is very clear. Those licences from December 7 were rushed. Review processes were not followed; the right things were not done,” he stated.

The decision follows recommendations from key regulatory bodies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Forestry Commission, and the Water Resources Commission, as part of a broader strategy to combat illegal mining, also known as galamsey.

As part of the reforms, a structured training program for small-scale mining license holders will be introduced. The Minister emphasised that individuals should not simply be handed licenses, they must undergo a certification process to ensure they have the requisite knowledge and skills for responsible mining.

“People should not simply be given licenses. They must be required to have gone through some process of certification, a training program that ensures they understand proper mining practices,” he stated.

A strict policy of public accountability is being adopted, with a commitment to naming and shaming individuals who have engaged in illegal mining activities, regardless of their social or political status. “We should name and shame everybody, it doesn’t matter how big and high your position is. What we are talking about is really at the heart of our survival,” he said.

In line with recommendations from the regulatory bodies, a working committee has been established to review the current licensing regime and propose a comprehensive strategy to address the challenges in the small-scale mining sector.

“We are taking the following steps; we have established a working committee to review the current licensing regime and propose recommendations and a comprehensive strategy to tackle the issues of illegal mining,” he explained.

The existing community mining schemes will be dissolved and replaced with small-scale mining cooperatives. Although these schemes were initially intended to benefit local communities, findings indicate that they have not served their intended purpose.

“The investigation across these mining communities is very clear. They do not represent the communities, so in that case, with immediate effect, we are banning all of that, reviewing them, and turning them into community mining cooperatives after due diligence and engagement with the communities,” he said.

A Technical Small-Scale Mining Review Committee has also been established to audit all existing small-scale mining licenses. This committee, chaired by the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Yussif Sulemana, and deputised by the Director for Environment, Science, and Technology, will conduct a thorough review of all licenses. Representatives from the Minerals Commission, the EPA, the Water Resources Commission, the Forestry Commission, and the Attorney General’s Office will be involved in this process.

“The committee is to audit all licenses to ensure that they were properly acquired, that due process was followed, and that they meet all conditions of continuous validity with respect to environmental compliance, protection of water bodies, forest reserves, and land preservation,” Mr Buah stated.

Reports have also revealed that some individuals have acquired multiple licenses, with some possessing as many as 20, without undergoing the required annual reviews.

“The report clearly indicates that people have just acquired licenses, some even holding 20 licenses, and annual reviews are not even done. This committee will make sure all these things are adhered to, and all license holders are expected to cooperate fully with this committee,” he said.

The committee will have two months to complete its assignment. All license holders are expected to submit their documentation for review within this period.

“The committee will have two months to carry out this assignment, all licensees are expected to cooperate subject their documentations to this exercise within this period. All who fail to go through this process will have their licenses considered revoked at the end of this process,” he warned.