The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has announced that 907 small-scale mining licenses are at risk of revocation as part of an ongoing effort to sanitise the mining sector.
According to a report submitted to the Minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, on Monday, July 21, 2025, a total of 1,278 licenses were reviewed during the exercise. Of these, 316 were cleared of any infractions, while 962 were flagged for various irregularities.
So far, 55 of the flagged licenses have already been revoked. The remaining 907 face possible cancellation if license holders fail to address the identified issues within the timeframe specified by the Minister.
The report cited documentation gaps, procedural anomalies, and data quality issues as the primary reasons for the infractions.
To ensure fairness, the Ministry has set up a three-member committee to review petitions and correspondence, giving affected license holders the opportunity to rectify discrepancies where applicable.
The Ministry further disclosed that a similar audit of large-scale mining licenses will be conducted soon to address irregularities and strengthen regulatory oversight across the sector.
See the full list of 907 small-scale mining licenses.
Small Scale Mining by emma tony on Scribd
Earlier, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah announced the revocation of all small-scale mining licences issued after December 7, 2024, citing irregularities in the issuance process.
Speaking at a joint press briefing on March 19, 2025, Buah stated that these licences were granted without due process, making their cancellation necessary.
“Now, we are going full steam ahead to revoke all licences based on the findings. Even all licences—it’s mostly licences that were issued from December 7—that is hereby revoked, whether you have EPA licences or not, because the finding is very clear. Those licences from December 7 were rushed. Review processes were not followed; the right things were not done,” he stated.
The decision follows recommendations from key regulatory bodies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Forestry Commission, and the Water Resources Commission, as part of a broader strategy to combat illegal mining, also known as galamsey.
Overhaul of community mining schemes
He also announced the immediate disbandment of existing community mining schemes, stating that they had failed to benefit local communities as originally intended.
“The findings indicate that these community mining schemes do not represent the communities. They have to be disbanded and replaced with small-scale mining cooperatives that actually serve and benefit the communities,” he explained.
The new cooperatives, he noted, would be formed after thorough engagement with community representatives to ensure local participation and accountability.
