The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has launched a rigorous regulatory regime to track and register excavators across the country, as part of efforts to tighten control over the machinery often used in illegal mining operations.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, disclosed that prior to the current administration, no excavator had been registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), a lapse that has contributed to the uncontrolled proliferation of earth-moving machines used in illegal mining.
“You will not believe this. For eight years before we assumed office, no excavator was ever registered with the DVLA,” the Minister stated.
In a swift move to enforce the new regulations, the government seized over 1,200 excavators at the ports within just two months of rolling out the new policy. Many of the machines had no declared end-use, making their purpose suspicious. The government has since relocated the seized excavators to secure military installations including Burma Camp and Michel Camp due to congestion at the ports.
“The reason the port was full was because people were importing these machines with no explanation. They couldn’t even tell us what they were using them for,” the Minister explained.
Under the revised guidelines, importers must now prove the intended use of any excavator before it is cleared. The Minister emphasized that legitimate importers must present documentation endorsed by relevant ministries such as Transport, Finance, and Roads, confirming the machine’s approved use, whether for construction, quarrying, or other legal purposes.
“Before we release any excavator, you must tell us the purpose of it. If you say road construction, we want a letter from the Ministry of Roads confirming you have such a contract,” the minister said.
In a bid to monitor excavator use beyond importation, the Minerals Commission has developed a robust tracking system, with nearly 1,000 excavators already fitted with GPS tracking devices. This system allows authorities to trace each machine’s movement and ensure it remains within the legally designated mining area.
“If you tell us the excavator is going to Takwa, we’ll track it to Takwa. We will also know the exact perimeter where mining is allowed,” he added.
The new measures are part of a broader government strategy to curb illegal mining, restore environmental degradation, and enforce transparency and accountability in Ghana’s extractive sector. Minister Buah stressed that the days of unregulated machinery wreaking havoc on forests, rivers, and farmlands are numbered.
