The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development has directed Provincial Mining Directors (PMDs) to temporarily halt the acceptance of new applications for the registration of mining titles in areas where Exclusive Prospecting Orders (EPOs), initially granted on March 12, 2021, are set to expire on March 11, 2024, at 00:00hrs.
In an internal circular dated March 8, 2024, and endorsed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Mines, PMDs have been instructed to refrain from processing any new registrations until receiving official communication.
The circular states, “You must by now be aware that the current set of EPOs that were issued on 12 March 2021 are due to expire on 11 March 2024 at 00:00hrs. By the copy of this Internal Circular, you are hereby instructed not to accept any applications for the registration of mining titles in the concerned areas in your respective provinces until such a time you are advised otherwise through official communication from my office.
This directive also applies to all EPOs that are currently active on expiry.”The decision to temporarily suspend new mining title registrations appears to be rooted in the necessity for a systematic and controlled transition between the expiring and potentially renewed EPOs.
This pause allows for a thorough evaluation of existing mining titles and facilitates the seamless implementation of any changes or renewals.
Critics, particularly among small-scale miners, allege that some EPO applicants engage in speculative practices by reapplying for the same EPOs after expiry, despite previous rejections.
