Movement for Change, one of Ghana’s Political parties has asked the government to ban all small-scale and artisanal mining activities for one year.

A statement issued and signed by its Director of Communication and Spokesperson, Mr Solomon Owusu, said “By an Executive Instrument, ban all small-scale and artisanal mining activities whether legal or illegal, with immediate effect, for a substantive period of one year.”

The Movement for Change also called on Parliament to suspend, under a Certificate of Urgency, the application of Legislative Instrument (LI) 2462 to stop permits that allow mining in forest reserves in Ghana.   

The partty’s call comes following the ghastly incident which occurred on Wednesday, 13th August 2025 which claimed the lives of eight (8) gallant men of our nation.

The statement said there is now more than ever before, an urgent and critical need to put a complete stop to the existential threat of Galamsey. Against this background, the Movement for Change proposes as follows, a Ten-Point Action Plan to stop Galamsey. 

The statement called for the revocation of all small-scale and community mining licenses issued by the Minerals Commission within the last 15 years. 

“The revocation will be followed by a comprehensive and complete audit of all small-scale and community mining licenses issued within the said period. A task force made up of representatives of the Goldbod, Environmental Protection Agency, Water Resources Commission and Minerals Commission, with appropriate technical support, shall oversee the audit. ”

The statement called on the government to issue new mining licences after the audit exercise, with the consent of traditional authorities in the relevant areas.   

It also appealed to the government to “Demobilize all machinery, equipment, including earth moving equipment, and any other form of machinery currently in use on all existing small-scale and community mining land sites. 

The equipment will be inventorized, stored and preserved by the 48 Engineer’s Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces.

The statement tasked the government to establish and fund a comprehensive programme for the restoration and regeneration of all degraded land sites within the one-year period of the ban of small-scale mining activities. 

“Young men and women currently engaged in small-scale mining activities will be deployed under the said programme. The programme would be led and supervised by the Forestry Commission with technical oversight by the Forestry Research Institute of CSIR.”

Additionally, the statement urged the government to establish a programme to be jointly managed by the Water Resources Commission and Environmental Protection Agency, with technical support from the Water Research Institute of CSIR, for a complete restoration of all river bodies within the period of one year while the ban is in force. 

According to the statement, the government should Introduce new legislation and regulations in Parliament that would impose a complete ban on mining in river bodies and forest reserves, even when the ban on small-scale mining is lifted. 

“The sanctions regime associated with this new legislation will include life imprisonment for violation of the provisions of the said legislation.,” the statement added.

Again, the statement said the government should establish a new Youth in Responsible Mining Initiative, under which groups of young people previously engaged in Galamsey, will be supported by the Government to establish and own mining companies as private legal commercial entities (not cooperatives). 

“These youth-owned mining companies will be provided mining licensing rights and other permits, as well as machinery and equipment for mining activities under a Work-and-Pay basis, with Off-taker Agreements from Goldbod.” 

The Statement finally appealed to the government to establish a Citizens Mining Protection Rights Group in each mining community, who will act as the watchdogs for responsible mining.