Ban all Small-Scale Mining for one year – Movement for Change tells Govt

The Movement for Change has urged government to impose an immediate one-year ban on all small-scale and artisanal mining activities in the country.

The Director of Communications for the political party, Mr. Solomon Owusu, said the group, “By an Executive Instrument, all small-scale and artisanal mining activities, whether legal or illegal, should be banned immediately for one year.”

The call follows the death of eight gallant men who lost their lives on August 6, 2025, in a Galamsey-related duty.

The Movement explained that the temporary ban would create room for reforms, including a full audit of mining licences issued in the last 15 years. It added that new licences should only be issued with the consent of traditional authorities after the audit.

The group further proposed that all mining machinery be seized and preserved by the Ghana Armed Forces, while degraded lands and polluted rivers are restored under state-supervised programmes.

It recommended that Parliament pass new laws to permanently ban mining in river bodies and forest reserves, with offenders facing life imprisonment.

In addition, the Movement called for the establishment of a Youth in Responsible Mining Initiative to help young people who previously engaged in Galamsey to set up legal mining companies.

These companies, it said, should be supported with licences, equipment and off-taker agreements to operate responsibly.

The party suggested the creation of Citizens Mining Protection Rights Groups in mining communities to act as watchdogs for responsible mining.

According to the Movement, these measures form part of its Ten-Point Action Plan to end illegal mining, which is outlined in its Great Transformational Plan.