In pursuant to the Minerals and Mining (Mineral Operations — Tracking of Earthmoving and Mining Equipment) Regulations, 2020 (L.I. 2404), the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is directing all persons engaged in mining in the country to register their excavators.
The ministry urged owners, operators, or users of excavators to register with the Metropolitan, Municipal, or District Assembly (MMDAs) with jurisdiction over the area they operate.
The deadline for the registration of all excavators in the country is by close of business on Wednesday, 2 November 2022.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and signed by the sector minister, Samuel Jinapor said “An owner, operator, and/or user of an excavator shall, at the time of registration, specify the purpose for which the excavator is being used or to be used and the area where the excavator is being used or will be used, as the case may be.”
As part of the registration, MMDAs should record the following: “the name and particulars of the owner of the excavator; the date the excavator was brought into the country; the registration number of the excavator; the chassis number of the excavator; the purposes for which the excavator was brought into the country; the area where the excavator is expected to be used, the name and particulars of the current operator and/or user of the excavator; and any other particulars the MMDA may deem necessary.
“Any excavator not registered in accordance with this directive, whether found at a mining site or any other operational site or elsewhere, shall be seized and the necessary legal steps taken to confiscate same to the State,” Mr. Jinapor added.
The action is part of the steps taken to tackle illegal mining destroying the country’s water bodies.
“The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources wishes to reassure the general public that it will continue to take the necessary measures to protect our natural environment, particularly, water bodies, forests, and lands, in a transparent and sustainable manner, anchored on integrity,” the Minister noted.
By: Bernard Ralph Adams | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana
