Eight out of nine forest reserves that are known as no-go zones and controlled by illegal miners (galamseyers) have been repossessed by the government, President John Dramani Mahama has revealed.

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Speaking at the Global Mining Summit on Monday, June 2, President Mahama noted that the recent development marks a significant milestone in Ghana’s ongoing efforts to rehabilitate mined lands and foster sustainable mining practices.

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“Let me be clear at this juncture, artisanal miners are not enemies of the state. If properly trained and supported, they can be allies in our development.“Working together with the small-scale mining sector, we will reclaim our forest reserves and restore the purity of our water bodies," the President said.

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He disclosed that as part of the government's strategies to eradicate the canker, it will, in the coming days, approve the importation of excavators except through a valid permit.

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“We will track excavators to know whether they are being used for illegal mining. Ghana currently has more excavators than the rest of Africa combined. The new permitting regime will not allow you to import any excavator unless you have a valid permit to do so,” Mahama stated.

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A few months ago, the Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah announced the rollout of a system to monitor excavator imports and usage, involving port tagging and digital tracking in partnership with several state agencies.

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The third most valuable item imported into this country is excavators, and it is worth GHC6.2 billion, according to the sector minister.

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The joint Military-Forestry Commission task force that conducted targeted operations in high-risk districts across the Ashanti, Western, and Western North Regions led to the seizure of 100 excavators, three bulldozers, and four vehicles.

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Meanwhile, excavator owners and operators who have failed to register their machines with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) risk losing them to the state, as the government intensifies efforts to clamp down on illegal mining activities.

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The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the DVLA, Julius Neequaye Kotey, issued the directive in Accra, warning that effective June 1, any excavator not registered with the DVLA will be confiscated.

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Speaking at a press briefing, Mr. Kotey announced that the Ghana Police Service and the DVLA’s operational team will begin nationwide enforcement after the deadline, arresting and impounding excavators being used at mining sites or for commercial purposes without proper documentation.

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“This exercise will help identify every excavator that enters the country and trace how it is being used. The goal is to ensure we can monitor and hold people accountable,” Mr. Kotey said.

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The directive falls in line with Section 38 of the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683), which mandates the registration of all motor vehicles and trailers, including farm and heavy-duty equipment. Despite the law, the DVLA has found many unregistered excavators operating in mining areas, some of which have been used in illegal activities.

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Mr. Kotey emphasized that the DVLA, with its 34 offices nationwide, has the capacity to register all excavators and farm machinery within the two-week period and is ready to strictly enforce the directive.

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He stressed the environmental toll caused by unregulated excavator use in illegal mining, saying, “Excavators in the hands of illegal miners have worsened the destruction of our environment. This is why we must act.”

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To further control the situation, the DVLA, in collaboration with key agencies like the Minerals Commission, National Security, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), has started tagging all newly imported excavators.

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In addition to tagging new imports, the Minerals Commission has been tasked to lead a team that will tag all excavators already in the country. Legal small-scale mining sites have also been geo-fenced, with their site coordinates integrated into the Ghana Mine Repository and Tracking software for better oversight.

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