The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has announced plans to decentralise Ghana’s mining licensing regime in a bid to bring regulation closer to mining communities and improve access for small-scale miners.
The move is part of the government’s broader national reset agenda, aimed at modernising key sectors of the economy while promoting inclusive, transparent, and sustainable governance.
Speaking on behalf of the ministry at the 97th Annual General Meeting of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, acting chief director Innocent Haligah underscored the importance of localising oversight, given that most mining activities occur outside the capital.
“We are looking at decentralising the licensing regime so that we enforce some activities to be taken from the district level all the way to the national level for some approval.
“We know mining is not done in Accra; mining is done in the districts, in the communities. And we want the activities of the Minerals Commission to be felt in the regional and district areas,” he said.
He further revealed that directives have been issued to the Minerals Commission to empower its regional offices, especially in overseeing small-scale mining operations.
The goal, he said, is to eliminate the need for miners to travel to Accra for basic regulatory processes, reducing delays and encouraging formalisation.
Haligah stated that one of the driving forces behind illegal mining is the cumbersome nature of acquiring licences, which discourages compliance and drives miners into unregulated activity.
By making the process more accessible at the local level, the ministry hopes to curb illegal mining and encourage lawful operations.
In addition, the ministry is collaborating with the Geological Survey Authority to demarcate and block out more mineral-rich areas to guide youth and prospective miners towards viable opportunities.
The government has also introduced initiatives such as the Blue Water Guard to enhance enforcement and protect water bodies affected by illegal mining. Haligah emphasised the need for modern and environmentally responsible mining practices, stressing that the reset agenda must involve all stakeholders.
“This moment demands both reforms in the environment and natural resource governance. It is therefore important that we promote investment in a sustainable manner,” he said.
He added that achieving this goal requires everyone’s involvement:
“It is not a fight for the ministry. It is not a fight for government. It is a fight for every individual, including those who are mining illegally. They have a responsibility towards the future generation, and we expect that they will speak to their conscience and do the right thing.”
The decentralisation agenda, according to the ministry, is a step toward realigning the mining sector with national priorities of equity, modernisation, and sustainability.
Report by Gloria Saah for Asaase News in Greater Accra
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