The Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, has warned mining companies that their social licence to operate in host communities can be withdrawn if they fail to act responsibly.

He said the social licence was not a legal document that could be granted by a minister or regulatory commission, but rather a continuous acceptance given by traditional authorities and communities affected by mining activities.

Speaking at the National Mining Dialogue 2026 at Kempinski Hotel, Accra on Tuesday, August 18, the Chairperson of the dialogue said chiefs, queen mothers, farmers and other community members had a critical role in determining whether mining operations retained the trust and support of host communities.

“social license. It is not a legal document. It cannot be granted by a minister or a commission. Rather, it is quietly and continuously conferred by the chiefs, queen mothers, your people in communities, farmers of communities, and those whose land mining takes place. Like any license, it can be withdrawn. Like any licence, it can be withdrawn,” he cautioned.

According to him, the warning is particularly important because mining involves a generational inheritance that extends beyond commercial interests.

He described land as an inheritance, a source of food and livelihood, the home of communities and the foundation upon which generations have built their lives.

The Ga Mantse said traditional authorities, as custodians of the land, had a responsibility to ensure that decisions surrounding mining took into account the interests of both present and future generations.

He stressed that mining companies must recognise that their operations would eventually come to an end, while the land and its people would remain.

“Before a licence is issued, a concession granted, the first ounce of gold is taken from the earth, there is land. And long after the mining companies, the machinery, the trucks have departed, the land and its people will remain and must be reclaimed,” he said.

He therefore called for greater commitment to the reclamation of mined lands and responsible mining practices.

The Ga Mantse acknowledged that properly managed mining could contribute significantly to community development through the provision of roads, hospitals, schools, health centres and clean drinking water.

He said the industry could also provide scholarships, vocational training and opportunities for young people, local contractors, transport operators, engineers, artisans and other businesses.

However, he maintained that these benefits must be accompanied by meaningful local participation.

He said local content policies should compel large-scale mining companies to "hire, train and procure from Ghanaians, while ensuring that corporate social responsibility becomes a measurable and sustained commitment rather than a convenient gesture."

The Ga Mantse said the participation of regulators, large-scale and small-scale miners, gold buyers and traditional authorities in the dialogue was therefore important in finding a sustainable balance between mining and the interests of host communities.

He urged all stakeholders to recognise that granting access to mineral resources comes with a responsibility to protect the land and ensure that its benefits extend beyond the current generation.