The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has refuted claims that the Ministry has issued over 1,400 mining licenses from 2022 to the present.
This statement comes in response to allegations suggesting that only 150 licenses were issued between 1988 and November 2022, while more than 1,400 licenses have supposedly been approved since 2022.
During an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show with Bernard Avle on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, the Minister firmly dismissed these assertions. “That is simply false,” he stated.
“When you compare the data, the number of licenses issued from 1988 to 2022 far exceeds those issued in the timeframe you are mentioning [2022 to now].”
Jinapor elaborated on the intricate nature of the mining licensing process, noting that the bureaucratic steps involved make it both time-consuming and challenging. He pointed out that even a single small-scale mining application requires six different signatures for approval, which significantly slows down the licensing process.
This complexity makes it highly improbable that such a large number of licenses could be granted in the stated period.
The Minister also addressed concerns raised by industry experts who argue that delays in issuing mining licenses have led to an increase in illegal small-scale mining activities.
These experts assert that accelerating the formalization of the small-scale mining sector is essential to mitigate illegal mining, which is causing severe environmental harm in Ghana.
“Since I became Minister, my greatest criticism in the industry has been that I do not approve licenses. This has been my most significant challenge. Besides everything else, the current licensing regime makes approval cumbersome,” he explained.
“To approve one small-scale mining application, I need to sign six different signatures. So, if I need to approve ten applications, that means I have to sign sixty signatures, and completing that task is itself quite difficult.”
He emphasized that expediting the approval of mining licenses is a critical tool in combating illegal small-scale mining.
