The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has debunked reports claiming that more than 1,400 mining licences have been issued by the Ministry from 2022 to date.
This clarification comes after allegations surfaced, suggesting that between 1988 and November 2022, only 150 licenses were issued, but more than 1,400 licenses have reportedly been approved since 2022.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show with Bernard Avle on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, the Minister firmly rejected these claims. "Straight away, that is false," he said. "If you compare the data, the number of licenses issued between 1988 and 2022 is far more than those issued in the period you're referring to [2022 to present]." Jinapor explained the complexity of the mining licensing process, highlighting that the bureaucratic procedures involved make it a time-consuming and difficult task.
He revealed that even approving a single small-scale mining application requires six separate signatures, contributing to the slow pace of the licensing process.