The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has submitted a new mining bill to Cabinet seeking to decentralise the issuance of mining licences and give local communities a greater role in the governance of the mining sector.
The proposed legislation, if approved, will transfer some key regulatory responsibilities currently exercised by central institutions, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Minerals Commission and other regulatory agencies, to newly created District Mining Committees.
Speaking at the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) at Akyem Kotoku in the Eastern Region, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, said the proposed committees would play a critical role in the mining licence approval process.
According to him, no mining licence will be issued without the recommendation of the relevant District Mining Committee.
Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah explained that the current system, where major decisions on mining licences are largely taken in Accra, often excludes host communities from decisions that directly affect their lands, livelihoods and environment.
He said the proposed reforms are aimed at promoting transparency, accountability, community participation and responsible mining practices across the country.
The Minister noted that the decentralisation initiative forms part of broader efforts by the government to strengthen regulation of the mining sector and intensify the fight against illegal mining.
He said the measures include enhanced stakeholder engagement and public education, the operationalisation of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), the deployment of the Blue Water Guards and the introduction of a new medium-scale mining framework to improve oversight and encourage responsible mining.
Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah expressed confidence that the proposed reforms would help build a more transparent, inclusive and sustainable mining industry while ensuring that communities affected by mining activities have a meaningful voice in the management of the country’s mineral resources.
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