Accra: The Government is undertaking a comprehensive legislative and policy review of the Minerals Commission, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources has announced. He said the Minerals and Mining Act 2006 (Act 703), as amended, and the Minerals and Mining Policy (2014) are under review with extensive stakeholder engagement and were at 85 percent completion stage. Mr Buah said this when he took his turn at the Government Accountability Series Press Conference at the Presidency in Accra.
According to Ghana News Agency, the Government Accountability Series is being organized by the Presidency Communications Bureau to promote transparency and accountability in governance. Mr Buah highlighted significant changes to be made, including reducing the number of years that prospecting licenses are held from perpetuity to a defined minimal period. Other changes include reducing the upper limit for the number of years for the grant of a mining lease from 30 years to an agreed period, abolishing Development Agreements, and enforcing the signing of Community Development Agreements (CDA). These agreements will impose a rate of an agreed percentage of gross revenue from the sale of minerals to fund community development projects, aiding the development of mining communities.
Mr Buah also mentioned the introduction of a three-tier mineral right regime by including a medium-scale license. Additional reforms include reducing the upper limit for stability agreements from the current 15 years to allow for capital recovery for substantial investments or abolishing it altogether, as well as abolishing the automatic right to the renewal of licenses when certain conditions are not met.
Under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, and with extensive stakeholder engagements that included traditional authorities, civil society groups, and academia, the government is committed to ensuring that the review of the Act corrects past imbalances and secures a brighter future for all Ghanaians. In the fight against galamsey, 55 small-scale mining licenses issued during the transitional period were revoked at the beginning of the year.
Furthermore, Mr Buah stated that 907 out of 1,278 licenses are currently under review for possible revocation due to irregularities identified by the Small-Scale Mining Review Committee. A similar exercise is ongoing to review large-scale mining licenses to ensure compliance. These measures aim to sanitize the mining sector, ensuring transparency and sustainable operations.
Mr Buah emphasized that the mining sector is crucial for millions of Ghanaians, with the country blessed with resources like gold, diamonds, bauxite, iron, and salt. He noted that these resources face unprecedented global strain due to rapid population growth, urbanization, escalating demand for raw materials, and the effects of climate change. The government recognizes that to fully harness the benefits of its mineral wealth, the law must be strengthened to ensure equity, sustainability, and shared prosperity for all stakeholders, especially communities directly affected by mining activities.
