The Minister of Transport, Joseph Nikpe Bukari, has raised concerns over the growing influx of heavy-duty machinery, revealing that Ghana receives over 200 excavators through the Tema Port each day.
He described the trend as an “invasion” that poses serious regulatory and environmental challenges.
“We receive over 200 excavators on a daily basis into our port,” he said.
Speaking on JoyFM’s News Night on Thursday, June 5, Mr. Bukari noted that the sheer volume of excavators entering the country demands urgent policy attention, especially amid concerns about illegal mining and unregulated construction.
The Minister revealed that more than 1,200 excavators have been held at the port in just three weeks following a temporary halt in their clearance.
“We, the Ministry of Transport in our support in the fight against illegal mining, known as galamsey – we are putting in place this ban or prohibition of importation of excavators into our country,” he said.
“For three weeks today, when I visited the port and asked for a halt in clearing of the excavators, we have had over 1200 plus in the Tema port.”
Mr. Bukari added that intelligence reports suggest nearly 3,000 more excavators are currently en route to Ghana by sea, describing the development as “disturbing and worrying.”
The Government of Ghana has imposed an immediate ban on the importation of excavators. The Transport Ministry, in a statement signed by Mr. Nikpe, announced the implementation of a new policy dubbed “No Permit, No Excavator”, which takes effect immediately.
“The directive is aimed at protecting our water bodies and forest reserves,” the statement said, citing the devastating environmental impact of unregulated mining activities, particularly the use of heavy-duty earth-moving equipment in unauthorised mining operations.
On the back of this, Mr Bukari stated that the government’s ban on excavator imports is a critical step in stopping illegal mining at its source.
However, the Minister clarified that the ban is not absolute, saying that licensed mining firms and legitimate contractors may still import excavators, but only with proper vetting and permits.
“If you come and you are a mining company or a contractor and we are convinced that you need excavators to engage in your activities, then you can access a permit. But if you are not in that category, we advise that you do not attempt because we will either confiscate it or we will not allow it to be cleared at the port,” he added.
