The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has given all owners and operators of excavators a two-week deadline starting Tuesday, May 14, 2025, to register their machines or risk seizure. The move marks a renewed push in Ghana’s ongoing fight against illegal mining, known locally as galamsey.
DVLA Chief Executive Officer Julius Neequaye Kotey said the directive applies to all categories of excavators, including those owned by individuals, dealers, and licensed mining companies.
“Most of the machines found on site were not registered, and the DVLA finds this so disrespectful, and it amounts to breaking the law,” Kotey told reporters on Wednesday, May 14. “After the two weeks, we, together with the police, will go round to arrest either the owners or seize the excavators.”
The latest enforcement effort follows a November 2022 directive from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources requiring all excavators and earth-moving equipment to be registered with their respective Metropolitan, Municipal, or District Assemblies (MMDAs).
That directive, issued by Minister Samuel Abu Jinapor, aimed to bring transparency to the use of heavy equipment in mining zones and curb environmental destruction.
It mandated owners to provide full documentation on the machine’s purpose, location, ownership, date of importation, and operator identity underpinned by L.I. 2404, the Minerals and Mining (Operations-Tracking of Earthmoving Equipment) Regulations, 2020.
At the time, the Ministry warned that failure to comply would result in seizure and possible confiscation.
However, enforcement lagged, and compliance has remained weak allowing illegal miners to continue using unregistered excavators in restricted areas, including forest reserves and water bodies.
The DVLA’s latest ultimatum represents a significant escalation and comes with clear penalties. Registration enforcement will be conducted jointly with the police, and Kotey made it clear that no exceptions will be made.
This effort is aligned with the government’s broader anti-galamsey strategy, which includes new legislation, military interventions, and a growing emphasis on traceability and accountability of mining equipment.
“We are not going to allow that to continue,” Kotey said. “This time, the law will speak.”
As public frustration grows over illegal mining and its impact on water security, farmland, and biodiversity, authorities are signaling that leniency is over.
The two-week deadline may well serve as the final warning for excavator owners who have evaded regulation for years.
With registration records to be centralized, the DVLA and the Minerals Commission are expected to coordinate more closely on inspections and field operations going forward.
By: J.W Quarm
