- Mining Revenue Watch Tightens as MIIF Revives Royalty Committee
The Minerals Income Investment Fund has revived an inter-agency committee to strengthen the monitoring, verification and collection of mineral royalties and other mining-related revenues due the state, as concerns grow over leakages, undeclared production and weak oversight in parts of Ghana’s extractive sector.
The committee, reconstituted in collaboration with key state institutions, includes representatives from MIIF, the Ghana Revenue Authority, Minerals Commission, Ghana Standards Authority, Minerals Development Fund, Economic and Organised Crime Office, GoldBod, Environmental Protection Authority and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources. It is chaired by Dr Martin Yamborigya, Acting Commissioner of the Domestic Tax Revenue Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority.
The committee’s work will focus on restoring effective coordination among institutions responsible for monitoring royalties, licences, production declarations and regulatory compliance within Ghana’s mining sector.
MIIF Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Nelson, said reviving the committee had become necessary after a period of inactivity during recent institutional transitions created gaps in coordination, monitoring and enforcement.
She said the renewed platform would help address concerns over undeclared production, royalty leakages and weak regulatory oversight, particularly within segments of the small-scale mining sector.
The initiative comes at a critical time for Ghana’s public finances. Mining remains one of the country’s most important sources of export earnings, foreign exchange and fiscal revenue. Yet the value captured by the state depends heavily on the accuracy of production declarations, the integrity of royalty assessments and the ability of public institutions to share data and enforce compliance.
Mrs Nelson also underscored the strategic importance of mineral royalties to Ghana’s economy, describing them as a critical source of revenue for national development and infrastructure financing. She referenced the recent revision of Ghana’s mineral royalty framework from a fixed royalty regime to a sliding scale system, noting that the reform, together with strong global gold prices, is expected to improve royalty inflows to the state.
Dr Yamborigya said domestic revenue mobilisation challenges persist, especially outside the large-scale mining industry. He cited quarrying, salt production and other mineral operations as areas that often receive limited monitoring attention.
That observation points to a longstanding weakness in Ghana’s resource governance architecture. Large-scale gold mines are more visible and easier to track, but smaller and dispersed mineral operations can create blind spots for regulators and revenue agencies. Where production data is incomplete, royalty obligations are poorly tracked or licences are not properly monitored, the state risks losing revenue even when mineral activity is expanding.
At the meeting, members reviewed draft terms of reference outlining the committee’s mandate, governance framework and operational procedures. Discussions centred on strengthening oversight mechanisms, improving inter-agency data sharing and ensuring consistent reporting on production volumes and royalty payments.
The committee also proposed the development of a comprehensive database of mining operators and mineral rights holders, alongside improved systems for tracking production levels and royalty obligations. The meeting further examined funding and sustainability arrangements to support the committee’s operations, including field inspections and monitoring exercises. Participants discussed possible cost-sharing mechanisms among member institutions to sustain the committee’s activities.
MIIF officials said the fund’s role would focus primarily on facilitating coordination and providing secretariat support, while keeping the broader objective on protecting the national interest and promoting accountability within the extractive sector.
