Lands Minister Calls For Change In Way Businesses Are Conducted At The Minerals Commission

Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Honourable Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has charged the Minerals Commission to ensure the mining sector operates effectively and responsibly, emphasizing the importance of sustainable practices and compliance with regulations to benefit the nation and its people. 

Addressing the staff and top officials of Minerals Commission during a working to the Commission on Monday April 7, 2025, the sector minister called for a change in the way and manner several mining businesses are conducted at the Minerals Commission.

Acknowledging the steps that have been taken to overhaul mining sector policy, the sector minister has given his unflinching support moving with the speed of light.

"We have to recognise that there is something fundamentally wrong with the approach to licensing, he disclosed. questioning why we give out prospecting licences."

Honourable Armah-Kofi Buah kicked against the practice where licences are given under the guess of prospecting but the licences are used to destroy cocoa farms.

"One of the things we should be noted for is when the Commission comes into mind, we should know we have very dedicated, and people with integrity ready to stand up for Ghana and ensuring that people play by the rules",the sector Minister disclosed.

Honourable Armah-Kofi Buah urged the Minerals Commission to ensure that the mining sector functions effectively and responsibly, with a focus on sustainable practices and compliance with regulations. 

He stressed the need for the Commission to continue to ensuring that all the mining activities in the mining prove communities are carried out in a way that benefits the nation and its people, while minimizing environmental and social impacts. 

According to Honourable Armah-Kofi Buah, it is a high for the Minerals Commission to change the sector to ensure of addressing issues like illegal small-scale mining, environmental degradation, and ensuring that mining companies adhere to their social responsibility obligations. 

The minister charged the Commission to ensuring that the mining sector contributes to Ghana's economic development and that the country benefits from its mineral resources.

According to the sector Minister, he strongly believes that the Minerals Commission is doing its mandatory effectively to regulate the extractive sector in the country but he was quick to stated the Minerals Commission must add more to "what it has done to bring changes to the extractive sector."

He called on the commission's workers to rally behind him to succeed not for himself but the greater good of Ghana.

Underscoring the importance of his visit,the sector, Minister stated that the exigencies of the time demands a proper direction and a new way of doing mining that would not be destructive to the environment, forest range reserves and water bodies.

Beyond recogniting the mining sector, as a major contributor to the country's economy,  Honourable Armah-Kofi Buah stated that the Commission as a regulator must play the role of a policeman in safeguarding the sector.

"I established the Ghana Petroleum Commission so I know a thing or two about what the role of a regulatorship is.",the Minister affirmed.

The Minister touted his leadership at the sector bringing on board Ghana Gas, ENI,Sankofa with huge infrastructure though he claimed not to be an expert in the oil and gas sector.

Honourable Armah Kofi Buah entreated the staff members of Commission to ensure that the right things are done in the mining sector.

"We live in a country where everyone is going "crazy"digging everywhere in the water, in the forest and even with those we have given mining operating licences, with some holding the licences with impunity yet they are still coming for more licences. then we have to know that there is  something we have to do",the Minister stated.

The Minister urged the staff members to support calls for reviewing the environmental licensing regime emphasizing that that will only take their coordination.

"The Geological Surrey must know everywhere the Minerals are so that when you go there, you already know where the Minerals are," he stated.

On his part, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
of the Minerals Commission,Mr. Martin Kwaku Ayisi revealed that out of the the total revenue realized by the mining sector, small scale contributes a whoop 4.5 billion dollars representing some 80 to 90% informal workers.

The figure, he reiterated contributes to about a quarter of the Ghana's economy.

He disclosed that he has just received an information that gold deposit had been discovered in his community's cemetery, a matter he noted is creating great dilemma.

He indicated the resolve to finding a possible measures to mitigate the anomaly in the sector.