The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has disclosed that licences of about 50 large-scale mining companies in Ghana could be revoked as part of an ongoing regulatory review exercise. The announcement was made at a press briefing on December 23 2025 by the Ministry’s Director of Public Relations.
The licence review follows a comprehensive assessment of compliance by both small-scale and large-scale mining operators. During a separate earlier review, the Ministry revoked hundreds of small-scale mining licences for regulatory breaches. The current extension of the review to large-scale operators reflects authorities’ efforts to enforce industry standards more broadly.
According to the Ministry, a special committee established to examine large-scale mining operations identified a first tranche of 50 companies with apparent non-compliance. Breaches reportedly include holding mining leases without valid permits from key regulatory bodies such as the Environmental Protection Authority and the Water Resources Commission.
Ministry officials said affected companies will be given a one-month period to address or rectify the irregularities before final decisions on licence revocations are made. The move is part of what the government describes as a broader multi-pronged strategy to strengthen regulatory compliance in Ghana’s mining sector and safeguard environmental and legal standards.
The review and possible revocations come as part of wider ongoing government efforts to address illegal mining activities and ensure that mining operations across the country operate within the law. No final list of the 50 companies or details of specific breaches has yet been published by authorities.