Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah
The government of Ghana is set to introduce new measures to regulate the importation and use of excavators as part of efforts to curb illegal mining, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has announced.
Addressing the media on the state of Ghana’s fight against illegal mining, the Minister emphasized that while military interventions remain crucial, long-term policy reforms will play a decisive role in tackling the menace.
One of these key policy measures is the restriction of excavator imports to control their proliferation and misuse in illegal mining activities.
“The time has come for us to basically restrict the import of excavators in this country. It doesn’t make sense that among the ten most valuable things we import, totalling US$6.2 billion, excavators are included—machines that are mainly brought here to destroy our forest reserves, pollute our water bodies, and threaten our survival. This must stop,” he stated.
To strengthen oversight, the government is also expanding a geofencing and geotagging system for excavators nationwide.
The Minerals Commission has already piloted this initiative on 70 excavators, enabling real-time monitoring of their movements. Moving forward, the government plans to extend this system to all excavators entering the country, tracking them from the ports to their final destinations.
In addition to these technological interventions, the Minister highlighted ongoing efforts to reform the small-scale mining sector.
The government aims to create a structured framework that organizes small-scale miners into cooperatives operating in designated mineralized areas.
Furthermore, the Minister stressed the importance of public education in the fight against illegal mining. He revealed that the government is working with the Ministry of Education and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to integrate environmental awareness into school curricula and public messaging campaigns.
“This is about our lives and the future of our country. We will intensify public awareness campaigns to ensure that Ghanaians understand the gravity of this issue,” he stated.
The restriction on excavator imports, coupled with geofencing, structured small-scale mining reforms, and intensified public education, forms part of a broader strategy to combat illegal mining and protect Ghana’s environment.
Listen to Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah in the attached audio clip below:
