The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has justified the decision to place an immediate ban on the community mining scheme and revoke all mining licenses issued after the December 7 elections.

According to the minister, the development is to ensure sanity in the mining regime.

Answering questions from Minority leader Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, the Ellembelle MP disclosed that community leaders were not involved by the previous administration in the community mining scheme which according to him will change going forward.

“I outlined a comprehensive list of actions that have been taken to engage a broad cross-section of Ghanaians and key stakeholders. I also discussed the steps being taken to ensure a ban on further mining in forest reserves through the enactment of LI 2462.”

“Mr. Speaker, another crucial point to note is that we are fully aware of the challenges surrounding the licensing regime. One of the early interim reports from the task force highlights some of these issues. The task force visited communities where small-scale mining occurs and engaged with those involved in the community mining scheme. The report suggests that, in certain instances, some communities did not participate in the so-called community mining scheme. Instead, it was largely private companies that were effectively operating under the guise of community mining.”

Meanwhile, Deputy National Director for Arocha Ghana Daryl Bosu wants the government to review licenses issued to large-scale mining companies.

“We fully support the minister’s proposal to revoke all mining licenses issued after the December 7 elections. We believe the entire licensing regime needs to be thoroughly reviewed. It’s essential to conduct an audit to ensure that any licenses issued under irregular circumstances are revoked. The minister has our complete support in this matter.”

“Furthermore, we must be prepared to apply the same scrutiny to large-scale mining companies as we do to small-scale miners. There are large-scale mining companies that have licenses to operate in forest reserves, some of which we believe may also be affected by irregularities. These licenses should also undergo a thorough audit.”

“In this regard, I think the situation presents both positive and negative aspects. We are eager to see what steps the government takes to address the pressing challenges we face, and we hope they act swiftly and decisively in tackling this issue,” he noted.