The government has announced plans to overhaul Ghana’s mining legal system as part of efforts to clean up the sector and promote responsible mining practices.
This was revealed by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, during a working visit by Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang on January 27, 2026.
Speaking during the visit, Buah noted that Ghana’s Mining Act has been amended and will soon be sent to Parliament for consideration. He explained that the changes will align with existing mining laws to strengthen the fight against illegal operations in the sector.
“In the mining subsector, we want to operationalize the Mining Act. We are completely overhauling it, and it is on its way to Cabinet and then to Parliament to amend the laws in line with the new measures we have introduced,” he said.
In 2025, the government revoked Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, which had allowed mining activities in forest reserves, as part of efforts to combat illegal mining, commonly known as “galamsey.”
Buah added that the government is working with relevant agencies to set up cooperative groups for responsible mining.
“People are mining everywhere because they do not know where the gold is. We are working with the Ghana Geological Survey Authority to identify mineralized areas so that we can organize cooperative groups for responsible mining,” he explained.
