The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has assured that the welfare and safety of local communities will be prioritised in mining lease extensions.
He says government will conduct a thorough assessment of mining companies’ social, financial, and environmental performance before approving lease extensions.
The Minister, during a working visit to some mining sites in Tarkwa, Western Region, on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, emphasised that the era where mining companies operate at the expense of community needs will be a thing of the past.
According to him, mining companies must demonstrate their commitment to environmental well-being before their licenses can be extended.
“Contracts will be extended based on the records and commitments that the mining companies have made—technically and financially,” he said.
“We will assess how they have invested, how they’ve behaved as corporate citizens, not only in terms of benefiting their host communities, but also the country as a whole.”
Level of community engagement, environmental stewardship, fulfillment of corporate social responsibilities, and consistent tax compliance, according to the Minister, are part of the things the Ministry will consider before lease extensions.
“We are looking at all these things—whether taxes have been paid, whether the community has benefitted, and whether the country is seeing value. These will all be part of the considerations in determining contract extensions,” he added.
