By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has disclosed that government has successfully tracked more than 800 excavators linked to mining operations across the country.
He explained that until recently, fewer than 50 excavators could be monitored nationwide, but with new measures in place, the Ministry is now able to account for hundreds of machines that previously went unchecked. According to him, this represents a major step forward in the fight against illegal mining.
Mr. Buah said the Ministry is working closely with the Ministry of Transport to ensure that every excavator entering the country is tracked before leaving the ports. He added that the machines are geo-fenced to their designated mining areas to prevent diversion to illegal sites.
“So far, when we came, we had not even tracked more than 50 excavators. But today, we have been able to put at least 800 excavators into our system,” he noted. “We are making sure that any excavator that is being used is tracked, and going forward, every one of them will be geo-fenced.”
The Minister stressed that excavators play a central role in the devastation of lands and rivers, and monitoring their movement is therefore critical to restoring Ghana’s degraded environment. He said the Ministry remains committed to ensuring that polluted water bodies become blue again and destroyed forest reserves are reclaimed.
He cited ongoing efforts in reclamation, noting that about 5,500 hectares of forest lands have been devastated over the past eight years and must be restored. Reports on water turbidity, he added, show the urgency of the task.
Mr. Buah further explained that the new tracking system is part of wider collaboration with state institutions and the Ghana Gold Board to promote responsible and sustainable mining.
The Minister assured that government will continue to strengthen this system to ensure the success of the anti-galamsey campaign.
