The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has directed that all small-scale mining licence holders must validate the legitimacy of their permits by 5:00 p.m. on September 1, 2025, or risk permanent revocation.
The directive follows a nationwide audit of licences by a special review committee. Out of 1,278 licences examined, 316 were found to be valid, while 962 were flagged for irregularities. Earlier this year, 55 of those licences were revoked.
Initially, the deadline for rectifying irregularities was set earlier in 2025, but following a request from the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM), the Ministry granted an extension to the end of August. With the grace period now closing, the Minister has stressed that no further extensions will be granted.
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In a statement issued by the Ministry’s Licence Review Committee, affected miners were reminded to submit all necessary documents before the cut-off date.
“Affected licence holders are therefore reminded to submit any documentation to prove the legitimacy of their small-scale mining licences to the Ministry on or before 17:00 hrs., 1 September 2025. Failure to do so will result in the revocation of their licence by the Honourable Minister,” the statement said.
The Ministry has emphasized that the review and enforcement exercise form part of broader efforts to sanitize the small-scale mining sector and clamp down on illegal mining.
Meanwhile, a comprehensive review of large-scale mining licences is expected to begin soon, as part of the Ministry’s wider initiative to strengthen compliance with mining laws and regulations.
Story By: Afia Ohenewaa Akyerem