Small-scale miners face licence revocation as Lands Minister issues September 1 ultimatum

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has issued a stern warning to small-scale mining licence holders, directing them to prove the legitimacy of their licences by 5:00 p.m. on September 1, 2025, or face permanent revocation.

The directive follows a comprehensive audit of small-scale mining licences conducted by a special committee under the Ministry. Out of 1,278 licences reviewed, 316 were cleared without irregularities, while 962 were flagged with discrepancies. Fifty-five licences were revoked earlier this year as part of the exercise.

Responding to a request from the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM), the Minister granted an extension of the initial deadline, pushing it to the end of August 2025. With the grace period nearing its end, the Ministry has reiterated its position.

“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 from the Licence Review Committee emphasized.

The Ministry explained that the review and enforcement measures are part of ongoing efforts to sanitize the mining sector and combat the menace of illegal mining.

Meanwhile, officials disclosed that a similar exercise targeting large-scale mining licences will soon commence, as the government intensifies efforts to ensure full compliance with mining laws and regulations.

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