Ghana’s Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has given excavator owners and operators a two-week deadline, starting May 14, 2025, to register their equipment or risk seizure, in a renewed government push to curb illegal mining activities, locally known as galamsey.
The directive, which covers all categories of excavators, including those owned by individuals, equipment dealers, and companies operating mining concessions, forms part of a broader strategy to tighten regulatory oversight over the use of heavy earth-moving machinery in environmentally sensitive areas.
“Every excavator operator out there, you have two weeks to register your excavator. This is because most of the machines that were found on site were not registered, and the DVLA finds this so disrespectful, and it amounts to breaking the law,” said Julius Neequaye Kotey, Chief Executive Officer of the DVLA, during a press briefing.
“We are not going to allow that to continue. After the two weeks, we, together with the police, will go round to arrest either the owners or seize the excavators,” Kotey added.
The ultimatum is the latest move in Ghana’s long-standing battle against illegal mining, which has been linked to widespread environmental degradation, particularly in forest reserves and river bodies across the country. Government authorities have stepped up enforcement efforts in recent years and recent months, targeting both operators and the machinery used in unauthorized operations.
The registration initiative is aimed at improving traceability and accountability in the deployment of excavators, many of which have been used unlawfully without formal documentation.
The DVLA’s enforcement deadline is expected to have a ripple effect across the small-scale mining and equipment leasing sectors, potentially disrupting operations where compliance is low.
