The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has given 902 small-scale miners until September 1, 2025, to validate their licenses or risk losing them permanently.
The directive follows a review of 1,278 small-scale mining licenses by a government committee tasked with sanitizing the sector. Out of the total, 316 licenses were cleared, while 962 were flagged for irregularities. Earlier this year, 55 licenses were revoked after failing to meet compliance standards.
Ministry’s Warning
In a statement, the Ministry reminded affected miners to provide any necessary documentation proving the legitimacy of their licenses before the deadline expires.
“Failure to do so will result in the revocation of their license,” the statement warned, stressing that no further extensions would be granted.
The Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM) had earlier appealed for an extension to the initial deadline. The government granted the request, pushing the cut-off date to the end of August.
Broader Regulatory Effort
The review forms part of government’s wider strategy to regulate small-scale mining and clamp down on illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey. Authorities say the initiative is aimed at ensuring responsible mining practices that safeguard the environment and support sustainable livelihoods.
Officials have also confirmed that a similar license validation exercise for large-scale mining companies will commence in the coming months.
Industry watchers say the deadline will test the resolve of small-scale miners to comply with government regulations, while signaling a stricter enforcement regime in Ghana’s troubled mining sector.
Source – My News Ghana
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