The Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Isaac Andrews Tandoh, has unveiled sweeping reforms aimed at deepening local participation and restoring integrity in Ghana’s mining sector.

Speaking at the Maiden Mining Local Content Summit in Takoradi, Mr. Tandoh said Ghana must confront critical questions about ownership and control.

“Seventy years after independence, we must ask ourselves whether we truly own and benefit from our mineral wealth,” he stated. “Employment is not the same as ownership. Labour is not the same as control.”

He condemned the practice of “fronting,” where foreign entities hide behind Ghanaian names to secure licences.

“That practice is unethical and disempowers our own people. We are ready to confront it,” he warned.

Mr Tandoh disclosed that under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama and sector Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Commission has revoked over 300 improperly acquired small-scale mining licences within the past year.

He added that District Mining Committees have been fully operationalised to ensure stricter local oversight before licences are issued.

The Commission has also reviewed the Minerals and Mining Act, Act 703, revoked Legislative Instrument 2462 which allowed mining in forest reserves, introduced a new medium-scale licensing category, and proposed a revised royalty regime to ensure Ghana benefits more during periods of high gold prices.

“We are embedding local content into every mining agreement, every procurement decision, and every employment policy,” Mr. Tandoh said. “We are ready to enforce the laws without fear or favour.”

He further announced that the Minerals Commission is going fully digital to enhance transparency and efficiency.

“Together, let us build a mining sector defined not just by what we extract, but by the capacity and value we leave behind,” he concluded.