The Small-Scale Miners Association has opposed the government’s decision to revoke small-scale mining licenses issued after December 7, calling it discriminatory and unfair.
This follows after the Lands Minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah announced a revocation of all mining licenses granted after the 2024 elections.
Speaking on behalf of the association, its Director of Communications, Abdul Razak Mohammed, criticised the move, questioning why the revocation targets only small-scale miners while leaving large-scale mining companies unaffected.
“Why do you revoke licenses of small-scale miners only? Why not make it about mining in general? If licenses issued after December 7 are being revoked, whether large or small, the policy should apply across the board. This selective targeting of small-scale miners is unfair,” he stated.
Mr Mohammed further highlighted the challenges small-scale miners face, including land limitations and monitoring difficulties.
According to him, large-scale mining companies fail to prevent illegal mining on their lands, sometimes even allocating portions of their concessions to illegal miners while shifting the blame onto small-scale operators.
“We are given a maximum of 25 acres to operate, and if I cannot effectively monitor my activities within this small area, how do you expect large-scale companies with 300 to 400 square kilometers to monitor their lands properly? These large concessions often contain illegal mining activities, yet they blame small-scale miners for the problem,” he argued.
Meanwhile, the Coordinator of Eco-Conscious Citizens, Awula Serwah, has described the government’s decision to revoke small-scale mining licenses issued after December 7 as a step in the right direction.
However, in an interview on JoyNews‘ The Pulse on Wednesday, March 19, she expressed cautious optimism, stressing that the real challenge lies in effective monitoring and enforcement of responsible mining practices.
She also urged the government to address the thousands of licenses issued earlier and ensure that small-scale miners adhere to environmental and safety regulations.
“We welcome it with cautious optimism; it is a step in the right direction. But of course, there are still thousands of small-scale licenses, and we don’t know what monitoring is actually being done,” she stated.
“The most important thing is monitoring to ensure that mining is done responsibly. Whether or not you have a license, the real issue is whether or not you are mining responsibly,” she added.
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