The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, has revealed that excavators imported into Ghana rank among the top three highest imports, with a total value of GH¢6.2 billion.
In response to this concerning statistic, the government is set to introduce stricter measures to track and monitor excavators across the country.
“We must ensure that every excavator entering the country is properly tracked, has a legitimate purpose, and that we can pinpoint its exact location 24 hours a day,” the minister stated in an interview on Joy News.
He further emphasized that the initiative will begin at Ghana’s ports, in collaboration with relevant agencies such as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the Ministry of Transport.
“Starting from the port, we are working with DVLA and others. I have had the first discussion with the Minister of Transport because we believe that other agencies must be part of this whole exercise,” he disclosed.
With illegal mining and land degradation posing serious environmental threats, the government’s latest move aims to curb the misuse of excavators, ensuring they serve legitimate purposes.
The minister reiterated the importance of accountability, stressing, “We must make sure that any excavator imported into the country is tracked, has a purpose, and we know exactly where they are 24 hours a day.”
