The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has announced the revocation of all small-scale mining licences issued after December 7, 2024, due to irregularities in the issuance process.
Speaking at a joint press briefing on March 19, 2025, Mr. Buah stated that the affected licences were granted without following due process, necessitating their cancellation.
“Now, we are going full steam ahead to revoke all licences based on the findings. Even all licences—it’s mostly licences that were issued from December 7—that is hereby revoked, whether you have EPA licences or not, because the finding is very clear. Those licences from December 7 were rushed. Review processes were not followed; the right things were not done,” he emphasized.
The decision comes after recommendations from key regulatory bodies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Forestry Commission, and the Water Resources Commission.
It forms part of a broader government strategy to combat illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey. Authorities maintain that strict adherence to legal procedures in licensing is crucial to ensuring responsible mining practices and protecting Ghana’s natural resources.
