Ghana Holds Over 4,000 Excavators at Ports Under New Anti-Galamsey Import Controls
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has disclosed that more than 4,000 excavators are currently being held at Ghana’s ports pending compliance with a new documentation and clearance system aimed at curbing illegal mining.
Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, disclosed during a policy dialogue with the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education in Accra.
He said under the new regime, importers are now required to establish who is importing the equipment, the intended end user and the specific location where the excavator will operate before it can be cleared.
To enforce the system, the Minerals Commission has established a presence at the ports.
The Minister explained that equipment approved for clearance could subsequently be fitted with tracking technology and geofenced to its declared operational area.
The objective, he said, is to eventually bring every excavator operating in Ghana within a traceable system.
Commercial importers who bring in excavators for resale have also been asked to provide proof of legitimate orders and prospective end users.
According to the Minister, the policy is intended to stop illegal mining equipment before it reaches mining sites, rather than waiting for security agencies to chase excavators after environmental damage has already occurred.
Despite the scale of enforcement, Mr Kofi Buah acknowledged a major gap in the fight against galamsey.
“The challenge we are having is not the arrest. It is the prosecution,” he said, noting that while hundreds of suspects and machines have been seized, the justice system has struggled to secure convictions.
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