Armah Kofi Buah Calls for Reform at Minerals Commission

 


The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, has urged the Minerals Commission to fundamentally change the way it operates, particularly with regards to the licensing of mining activities.


During his maiden working visit to the Commission, the Minister emphasized that while the Commission plays a crucial role in Ghana’s development, its regulatory mechanisms need urgent transformation.


According to him, the current system of granting prospecting licenses has been abused, with some individuals misusing the permits to engage in full-scale mining under the guise of prospecting. He called this “a top-down approach” that must be changed to a “bottom-up” system with proper community engagement before licenses are granted.


“I’ve seen prospecting licenses being waved at communities, destroying cocoa farms and polluting rivers. That must change. The idea that one can just get a license and start digging anywhere, including our water bodies, is unacceptable,” he said.


Hon. Armah Kofi Buah said he is working with the Commission to overhaul Ghana’s outdated mining policy and move towards a more transparent, responsible, and sustainable mining regime. He stressed the need for the Minerals Commission to be known as “a regulator of integrity” that enforces the rules without fear or favour.


He assured staff that those committed to professionalism have nothing to fear under his leadership, adding that the government is not interested in witch-hunting but in resetting the system for the greater good of Ghana.












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