Ghana's Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources Takes Decisive Action Against Galamsey

Strategic Insights -

As part of its efforts to combat the environmental and health crisis caused by galamsey, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources in Ghana is decentralizing mining governance services through the establishment of District Offices and implementing a new Excavator Import Licensing Regime. The minister, Mr. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, emphasized that this initiative aims to deter people from engaging in illegal mining activities by making mining permitting processes more accessible to the public.

The Ministry has also rolled out a new licensing regime, with 1,181 excavators registered as of the end of September, and 724 tracked. This is part of a broader effort to address the galamsey crisis, which has reached alarming levels, with turbidity levels in water sources reaching 12,000 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU), far exceeding the maximum treatment threshold of 500 NTU, as revealed by the Ghana Water Company Limited. The minister identified corruption among political officials and law enforcement agencies, limited public awareness, weak enforcement of mining regulations, unemployment, poverty, and high global demand for gold as key drivers of the crisis.

The government is also revoking 278 small-scale mining licenses found to have irregularities and undertaking comprehensive legal and policy reforms, including major amendments to the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), and a review of the Minerals and Mining Policy (2014), with the aim of strengthening local content and introducing a medium-scale licensing regime. The minister emphasized that these efforts are essential to restoring Ghana's land and water bodies to their pristine state.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is establishing District Offices to decentralize mining governance services and make mining permitting processes more accessible to the public.
  • As of the end of September, a total of 1,181 excavators had been registered under the new Excavator Import Licensing Regime, with 724 tracked.
  • The galamsey crisis poses serious health risks and a major threat to national survival, with water sources polluted to treat, and turbidity levels reaching 12,000 NTU, far exceeding the maximum treatment threshold of 500 NTU.
  • Corruption among political officials and law enforcement agencies, limited public awareness, weak enforcement of mining regulations, unemployment, poverty, and high global demand for gold are identified as key drivers of the galamsey crisis.
  • The government has revoked 278 small-scale mining licenses found to have irregularities and is undertaking comprehensive legal and policy reforms to address the crisis.

Statistics:

  • 1,181 excavators were registered under the new Excavator Import Licensing Regime as of the end of September.
  • 724 of the registered excavators were tracked.
  • 12,000 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) is the alarming turbidity level in water sources, far exceeding the maximum treatment threshold of 500 NTU.
  • 278 small-scale mining licenses have been revoked for having irregularities.

Sources:

  • Ghana News Agency (29 Oct 2025)
  • Research Report for the High-Level Stakeholders Dialogue on Solutions to the Galamsey Crisis in Ghana: Mobilizing Citizens Consensus ( launched at the dialogue).