Small-scale mining licence review committee inaugurated

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has inaugurated a technical committee mandated to review all existing small-scale licences in the country.

The 11-member committee was set up by the minister in line with the government's overarching agenda to overhaul the country's mining policy, particularly in the small-scale mining sector.

Chaired by the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Yusif Sulemana, the technical committee has two months to present its report to the minister for the appropriate action to be taken.

Members of the committee were drawn from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST), Minerals Commission, Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Water Resources Commission (WRC), Forestry Commission, Office of the Attorney-General, the Ghana Chamber of Mines (GCM) and the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM).

Mr Buah inaugurated the committee last Wednesday, urging the members to work diligently to help sanitise the mining space.

Spelling out the terms of reference, Mr Buah said the committee was required to audit all licences to ensure they were properly acquired, that due process was followed and that they met all conditions of continuous validity in respect of environmental water bodies, forest reserves and land preservation standards.

"They are also to ensure permitting fees have been paid in full," he added.

The minister urged all licensees to cooperate and submit their documentation to the committee for the exercise to be successful. "All who fail to go through this process will have their licences revoked," he stressed.

He added that as part of measures to overhaul the mining policy of the country, he would work closely with the Minister of MEST to establish a new classification for the small-scale mining (SSM) regime — small-scale, medium-scale and large-scale.

Mr Buah reiterated that the government would continue to roll out far-reaching policies and interventions to harness the potential of the mining sector while ensuring that the integrity of the environment was protected.

He added that the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry would strengthen collaboration with other stakeholders, including security agencies and civil society organisations (CSOs), to save the environment from further destruction by illegal miners.

For his part, Alhaji Sulemana assured the minister that the committee was aware of the daunting challenges confronting the mining sector, and would play its part in overhauling the sector.

“In the discharge of our duty, we will go by the oath we have sworn today and ensure that the right thing is done,” he said.

The deputy minister also said the committee would be fair, firm and transparent in the discharge of its responsibilities to the state.

“The committee will not be a fault-finding one; we will not witch-hunt anybody.

All that we will be focused on is to help cure the ills in our licensing regime so that investors can feel confident to invest in the country,” he said.

He added that the committee would not work through any agents, “so anyone who has any concerns should contact us directly.”