Hot SourceFrom today, 1 September, 902 small-scale miners who failed to validate their licenses risk losing them permanently, following a directive from the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.
The order comes after a government review of 1,278 small-scale mining licenses conducted to clean up the sector and address widespread irregularities. Out of the total, 316 were cleared, 962 were flagged for inconsistencies, and 55 were revoked earlier this year.
The Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners had requested an extension to the validation deadline, citing logistical challenges in gathering documentation. The ministry extended the timeline to the end of August, but that grace period has now expired.
“Affected license holders are therefore reminded to submit any documentation to prove the legitimacy of their small-scale mining licenses … Failure to do so will result in the revocation of their license,” the ministry stressed in its statement.
Small-scale mining, locally known as galamsey when conducted illegally, has long been a flashpoint in Ghana due to its contribution to environmental degradation and revenue loss. The validation exercise is part of government’s broader effort to sanitise the industry and ensure only legitimate operators remain.
A similar review for large-scale mining licenses is expected to begin soon, as part of measures to strengthen oversight in the extractive sector.
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