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Land Ministry to clamp down on illegal clay miners at Shama
Illegal clay miners in the Shama enclave of the Western Region have been given an ultimatum to cease their operations or face sanctions from the government, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr George Mireku Duker, has warned.
He stressed: “The District Security Committee (DISEC) has been directed to clamp down on illegal clay mining and take steps to regularise their operations to ensure sanity and also save the environment in Shama areas.This cannot continue.”
Mr Duker gave the directives in an interview with journalists recently, after he had toured a degraded illegal clay mining site at Old Daboase Junction, in the Shama District of the Western Region.
The visit revealed large tracts of devastated lands dotted with deep ponds.
The Deputy Minister declared : “The ministry will collaborate with the Minstry of Trade and Industry and together we find ways of dealing with the ceramic companies because the clay miners are mining illegally and the companies are condoning and conniving with illegal miners. They are stopping today.”
Although, he declined to give details and timelines on the ultimatum, Mr Duker maintained that until there was order in the clay mining industry, the directive to Shama Assembly was still binding.
He said:“It’s unfortunate; if you want to mine, follow the protocols and mine according to the dictates of the law. I have given some specific assigments to DISEC which they will soon roll out but as for the details I can’t disclose them.”
The Deputy Minister added :“DISEC is to take control and make sure they regulate their activities. those who want to mine must secure licences before they do so.”
On the degraded clay mine site at Old Daboase junction, he disclosed that somebody got the site and was mining illegally.
One critical issue at the sites, he noted, was reclamation of land after mining and indicated government’s desire to ensure that it was done in accordance with the law.
Mr Duker told the journalists that companies which benefitted from the clay would collaborate with the clay mining association to reclaim all degraed sites at Shama.
“If you want to mine, you must acquire the necessary licences and follow all the protocols in accordance with the dictates of the law. We need all hands on the deck and ensure that mining becomes an enviable business in this country.” he stated.
Reacting to allegations that the Shama Assembly had taken money from the clay miners for reclamation, he said, “we’ll investigate it, because they are not licensed and so you can’t take something from them.”
Meanwhile, at a meeting with small scale miners, he revealed that government records showed that all mining operators at Shama had no licences, and, therefore, engaged in illegalities.
The Deputy Minister of mining told the meeting that the United States in 2015 bagged about $1.4billion and 1.9 billion in 2019 respectively from the clay industy, noting that same could not be said about Ghana’s industry.
He regretted that illegal Ghanaian clay miners were condoning with foreign tile makers and depriving Ghana of getting benefits from the natural gifts because of selfish interests.
From Clement Adzei Boye, Old Daboase Junction
The Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID) successfully held its sixth (6th) Exchange Programme, hosted by the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) Bank in Accra from March 22 to 23 March.
The event brought together member institutions, partner organisations and Ghanaian public entities to advance dialogue on South-South trade, investment and development finance, while also creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing and institutional cooperation.
Organised as a capacity-building and networking platform, the 2026 edition of the G-NEXID Exchange focused on GEXIM’s experience in developing innovative solutions to promote intra-African and extra-African trade.
It also highlighted trade and investment opportunities in Ghana, particularly in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and broader national development initiatives.
The Exchange Programme forms part of G-NEXID’s mandate to foster cooperation among export-import banks and development finance institutions in support of South-South trade and investment.
This 6th edition follows earlier successful programmes hosted by India Exim Bank (2016), BNDES (2017), Indonesia Eximbank (2018), Afreximbank (2019) and Saudi EXIM Bank (2025).
On the first day, participants were presented with G-NEXID institutional information and received an update on the Network’s 2026 work programme.
There were a series of substantive presentations, including an overview of the Ghanaian economy by the Ministry of Finance, with particular attention to debt-related challenges; a presentation by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), on investment opportunities in the country; and institutional presentations by GEXIM and Development Bank Ghana (DBG) on their respective mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Discussions during the sessions underscored strong interest in sector-focused webinars and business dialogues, particularly in agribusiness value chains such as poultry and rice.
Participants also emphasized the importance of continued information exchange and the sharing of best practices, especially in the area of guarantees.
The second day opened with a presentation on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, a national economic transformation strategy launched by President John Dramani Mahama in July 2025.
The initiative aims to enhance economic productivity through continuous industrial activity, accelerated export development and strategic import substitution.
As the programme is expected to mobilise both private and development capital, it presents concrete opportunities for G-NEXID members in areas such as co-financing, guarantees, trade finance and technical cooperation.
The programme also featured institutional presentations by guest organisations, namely the African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund (FAGACE) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), which shared their mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Following these exchanges, the G-NEXID Secretariat held bilateral discussions with both institutions as part of the Network’s ongoing membership drive.
Participants further benefited from a presentation by the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB), as well as a showcase of GEXIM’s key pipeline projects.
On the margins of the Exchange Programme, G-NEXID members also held their 20th Annual General Assembly Meeting to review progress and discuss strategic priorities.
Following the event, participants joined the GEXIM@10 International Conference, held from March 24-25, 2026 under the theme, “A Decade of Enabling Export Trade and Industrial Transformation: Resetting GEXIM for the Next Frontier.”
The conference provided an important platform for exploring how Ghana can strengthen its transition from a primary commodity exporter to a more competitive player in value-added trade and industrial development.
Source – G-NEXID
President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, signed five bills including three amendment bills passed by Parliament into law.
They are: Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025; University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Bill, 2025; Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
In a brief remark after assenting to the bills, President Mahama explained that the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026, scraps the Office of Minister of National Security and frees the President’s to appoint any Minister to supervise the security agencies.
He said it also reverses the name of the office of National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), to the original name, Bureau of National Intelligence, (BNI).
This the President said, addresses the confusion between that security agency and a well-known Ghanaian financial institution, the National Investment Bank.
President Mahama also noted that the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Act, 2026, establishes another University in the Eastern Region, at Bonsu, with three campuses – the main campus at Bonsu in the Eastern Region, with the second campus to be cited at Ohawu in the Oti Region.
The third, the Presdient assed will be located at Acherensua in the Ahafo Region.
Touching on the Amendment to the Growth and Sustainability Levy Act, the President said, “As you’re aware, the act was amended to increase it from 1% to 3%, and so this act reduces it again. That is the levy on mining companies. It reduces it again to 1%, because of the introduction of the sliding scale of royalties.”
He also spoke to the passage of the Government Education Regulatory Bodies Amendment Act, emphasising that amends Act 1023 to grant greater flexibility to private tertiary institutions and the option to Charter.
The Ghana Deposit Protection Amendment Act, the President concluded, is an amendment to an original act that was supposed to guarantee deposits held in commercial banks or financial institutions.
It basically expands protection to include mobile money wallets and other digital platforms, ensuring a wider scope of digital financial assets are secured.
The signing ceremony, was witnessed by the Clerk of Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr Dominic Akrutinga Ayine, Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, a Senior Presidential Advisor and a Special Aide to the President, Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, and the Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang.
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