The Government of Ghana has by means of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources ordered the registration of all excavators in the nation.
“All owners, operators and/or users of excavators in the country shall, within seven days of this notice, excluding weekends and statutory holidays, register their excavators with the Metropolitan, Municipal or District Assembly (MMDA) with jurisdiction over the area where the excavator is located,” the Government directed in an announcement issued by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor.
The directive varieties a part of efforts to crackdown on unlawful mining in Ghana.
Below is the Directive in full:
twenty fourth October, 2022
PRESS RELEASE
FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL MINING: REGISTRATION OF ALL EXCAVATORS WITH METROPOLITAN, MUNICIPAL AND DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY
WHEREAS unlawful mining actions, popularly referred to as Galamsey, continues to pose a menace to our pure atmosphere, significantly water our bodies and forests;
WHEREAS following the National Consultative Dialogue, held on 14th and fifteenth of April, 2021, it was resolved by paragraph 13 of the Communique issued after the Conference, that “the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources will take appropriate steps, legislative and/or executive action, as the case may be, to give effect to the set of measures arising from this Dialogue and approved by government”;
WHEREAS a lot of the devastation to water our bodies and forests are attributable to excavators used in unlawful mining actions and the floating platform popularly known as “Changfang”;
WHEREAS Government has positioned a ban on the manufacture, sale, use and/or dealings in the floating platform referred to as “Changfang”;
WHEREAS by the Minerals and Mining (Mineral Operations – Tracking of Earthmoving and Mining Equipment) Regulations, 2020 (L.I. 2404), the Minerals Commission is empowered to register and monitor all earthmoving and mining gear used in mining operations; and
WHEREAS Government deems it expedient to register all excavators in the nation to have the ability to decide these used for mining operations, for the needs of L.I. 2404,
NOW THEREFORE in train of the powers conferred on the Minister liable for Mines by part 100(1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), and to make sure efficient and environment friendly implementation of the provisions of L.I. 2404, the next directives are issued:
All homeowners, operators and/or customers of excavators in the nation shall, inside seven days of this discover, excluding weekends and statutory holidays, register their excavators with the Metropolitan, Municipal or District Assembly (MMDA) with jurisdiction over the world the place the excavator is situated;
For the avoidance of doubt, the deadline for the registration of all excavators in the nation is by shut of enterprise on Wednesday, 2nd November, 2022;
An proprietor, operator and/or consumer of an excavator shall, on the time of registration, specify the aim for which the excavator is getting used or for use and the world the place the excavator is getting used or might be used, because the case could also be;
MMDAs shall, as a part of the registration, document the next:
the identify and particulars of the proprietor of the excavator;
the date the excavator was introduced into the nation;
the registration variety of the excavator;
the chassis variety of the excavator;
the needs for which the excavator was introduced into the nation;
the world the place the excavator is predicted for use;
the identify and particulars of the present operator and/or consumer of the excavator; and
some other particulars the MMDA might deem obligatory;
Any excavator not registered in accordance with this directive, whether or not discovered at a mining web site or some other operational web site or elsewhere, shall be seized and the required authorized steps taken to confiscate identical to the State;
The Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, has been formally notified of those measures, and has directed all MMDAs to make sure strict compliance with identical;
Notice is hereby given to most people, and significantly homeowners, operators and/or customers of excavators, in addition to all MMDAs to make sure strict compliance with these directives;
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources needs to reassure most people that it’ll proceed to take the required measures to guard our pure atmosphere, significantly, water our bodies, forests and lands, in a clear and sustainable method, anchored on integrity.
SIGNED
HON. SAMUEL A. JINAPOR, MP
MINISTER
