Government pushes for mandatory reclamation bonds to strengthen mining regulation

The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Yusif Sulemana, has called for the introduction of mandatory reclamation bonds and the deployment of more district-level engineers to improve mining oversight and protect the environment.

Speaking in Parliament during discussions on the Public Accounts Committee’s report on the Auditor-General’s follow-up audits covering small-scale mining, sports stadia sustainability and GETFund scholarships, the Deputy Minister said stronger monitoring mechanisms were needed to address environmental challenges associated with mining activities.

He disclosed that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Minerals Commission have fully implemented 29 recommendations from the audit report, while an additional 25 recommendations have also been addressed.

According to him, the government is working to increase the number of EPA personnel at the district level through the recruitment of permanent and contract staff, but financial constraints remain a major challenge.

“Whilst we are looking for engineers to go and do this work at the district levels, it is quite expensive… it is the chicken and egg situation. The money is not there for you to be able to employ more hands so that they can bring you the revenue,” he said.

To improve community-level monitoring, Alhaji Sulemana said community mining committees are being established and activated across all mining districts to support local oversight.

He expressed concern over the environmental damage caused by some mining operators who fail to restore mined lands after completing their activities, particularly where no financial guarantees have been provided.

“Many people get licences to go and mine and they don’t sign any reclamation bond. When they succeed in destroying the environment and they run away, there’s nothing for you to use to reclaim the lands,” he stated.

The Deputy Minister urged stakeholders to support a policy that would make reclamation bonds a compulsory requirement for all mining licence holders, ensuring that funds are available for land restoration when mining operations end.

He further revealed that government plans to introduce legislation to amend the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as part of efforts to modernise mining regulations, streamline the licensing process and make the sector more environmentally responsible.

Prince Antwi

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