President John Dramani Mahama has warned that shipping agencies that import excavators into the country without the required permits will be sanctioned.

Speaking at a high-level stakeholder dialogue with civil society groups in Accra on Friday, October 3, the President stressed that the government is enforcing existing laws on excavator importation to curb their use in illegal mining, also known as galamsey.

“The law actually says that you must get a permit before you import the excavator. So you can’t bring an excavator in, you can’t put it on a ship.

"We are telling the shipping agencies that if you bring an excavator for which there is no permit, we shall penalise you, the shipping agency, for carrying that excavator to Ghana,” President Mahama warned.

He revealed that the government inherited a large backlog of excavators at the ports due to poor enforcement of regulations, forcing authorities to move them to military facilities at Shai Hills and other locations to decongest the port.

President Mahama also highlighted reforms in the registration and monitoring of excavators.

Read Also: 1,200 excavators undergoing permitting process – Mahama

He said all excavators must now be registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), with ownership records clearly stated, while trackers are being installed to monitor their movement and use.

“It’s not only illegal miners who use excavators. Contractors on our roads and others also use them, so it’s impossible to just place a complete ban. But we must know where each excavator is being used.

"We can now hold owners responsible if their machines are found in forest reserves or engaged in illegal mining,” he stated.