As part of government’s efforts to clamp down on illegal mining also known as ‘galamsey’, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has disclosed that over 900 licenses issued to mining firms are currently under review.
The act, he says, is to ensure the strict enforcement of regulatory compliance in the sector, to protect the destruction of Ghana’s environment whilst exploring the minerals.
Mr. Buah, during the Government Accountability Series on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, indicated that the procedural irregularities in the registration of these lands necessitated this review.
“907 out of 1,278 small-scale licences are now under review for possible revocation due to irregularities identified by the Small-Scale Mining Review Committee,” he stated.
Fifty-five (55) licenses, according to the Minister, have also been revoked.
“It must be noted that 55 small-scale mining licences, issued during the transitional period, were revoked at the beginning of the year.”
The large-scale mining sector, the Minister averred, is also be undergoing similar review to ensure full compliance with regulatory requirements.
“A similar exercise is currently ongoing to review large-scale mining licences to ensure compliance,” he noted.
He stressed that the ongoing development are part of the measures to ensuring the mining sector is purged of all irregularities.
“These measures are all aimed at sanitising the mining sector to ensure transparency and sustainable operations,” he stated.
