Small-scale miners face licence revocation by September 1 — Lands Minister

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has issued a final warning to all small-scale mining licence holders to prove the legitimacy of your licences by 5:00 PM on September 1, 2025, or risk permanent revocation.

This ultimatum follows a comprehensive audit conducted by a special committee tasked with reviewing small-scale mining licences across the country.

Of the 1,278 licences reviewed, only 316 were found to be without irregularities.

The remaining 962 contained various discrepancies, with 55 already revoked earlier this year.

The original deadline was extended to the end of August after a request from the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM).

With that grace period now coming to an end, the Minister has made it clear that any unresolved or unverified licence will be permanently revoked after the deadline.

In a statement from the Ministry’s Licence Review Committee, affected licence holders were urged to act swiftly.

“Submit all necessary documentation to validate your licence by 5:00 PM, September 1, 2025, or lose it permanently,” the statement stated.

The exercise is part of a broader government initiative to sanitise the mining sector and crack down on illegal operations.

A similar review targeting large-scale mining licences is expected to begin soon, as the Ministry intensifies its efforts to enforce compliance across the board.