Lands Minister- Designate Pledges to Engage Local Leaders, Restructure Mining Sector to Fight Illegal Mining

Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, the Lands and Natural Resources Minister- designate, has outlined a comprehensive, multi- faceted approach to tackle illegal mining (galamsey) in Ghana, during his vetting in parliament. His plan emphasizes the critical role of local communities, a restructuring of the mining sector, and the strategic use of technology.

Buah stressed that tackling galamsey requires engaging local communities, stating that those who are most familiar with the situation are best equipped to deal with the problem. He emphasized that this included chiefs, community leaders, and other relevant stakeholders.

“We must engage our chiefs, our community leaders, we must sensitize them, we must give them the training needed, and we must empower them,” Buah stated during his vetting. He also acknowledged the massive scale of the problem, noting that the Minerals Commission estimates that 3 million Ghanaians are involved, directly and indirectly, in illegal mining across 12 regions.

He explained that a key strategy would be to decentralize the operations of regulatory institutions, streamlining the process of obtaining licenses and making legal mining more accessible to everyone. He said that digitizing the processes would further reduce bureaucracy, making it easier for individuals and communities to comply with mining regulations.

He highlighted that the NDC, the party he represents, plans to recategorize mining to include a medium-scale category to address the current difficulties in regulation. Buah also announced plans to establish mining cooperatives and a gold board, providing support, assistance, and expertise to miners. He stated that this will make the formalization of the sector easier and make it attractive for those involved in illegal mining to go into legal mining.

Buah noted that large-scale miners are typically organized, making them easier to manage. The goal, he said, was to replicate this organized approach throughout the mining sector, so that it is clear how and where people can engage in mining legally.

Buah expressed confidence that his strategy, focusing on community involvement, accessible licensing, recategorization of mining, and the introduction of cooperatives, would lead to a more regulated, sustainable, and profitable mining sector, minimizing illegal activities.