MP blasts EPA for failing to enforce mining bond rules
A Ghanaian legislator has criticized the Environmental Protection Authority for allowing almost 20 mining companies to operate without posting financial guarantees meant to restore damaged land. Ernest Yaw Anim, who represents Kumawu in parliament and sits on the Public Accounts Committee, said the agency has ignored a 1999 law requiring operators to provide reclamation bonds based on estimated cleanup costs.
Speaking during a committee session on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, Anim argued that proper enforcement would have prevented widespread destruction in mining regions. The regulation calls for each firm to calculate potential harm from its activities and deposit funds with authorities to cover future restoration work. He said the agency’s inaction has left communities vulnerable to abandonment by operators who leave behind degraded sites with no mechanism for recovery.
The lawmaker from Kumawu said strict application of bonding rules could curb damage from both licensed and unauthorized extraction activities. He noted that even when miners disappear, deposited funds would remain available for environmental rehabilitation efforts. His statements reflect broader frustration with regulatory oversight of Ghana’s mining sector and the government’s response to illegal operations affecting waterways and farmland.
