Kwaku Ofori Asiamah
THE MINISTRY of Transport has set March 31, 2019 as the deadline for the licensing and registration of all earth moving equipment including excavators and bulldozers used for mining activities across Ghana.
The Ministry made the announcement in a statement signed by Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, saying the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) was tracking all earth moving equipment for licensing and registration with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) as part of efforts to sanitize and regularize mining operations nationwide.
According to the statement, “in furtherance of its mandate, the Ministry of Transport through its agency, the DVLA in collaboration with the IMCIM and with the active support of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, wishes to bring to the prompt attention of owners of earth moving equipment – excavators, bulldozers – as well as those who hire these equipment, to, as soon as possible, and not later than 31st March, 2019, license and register them with the DVLA, if they have not done so already.”
It stated that “the affected persons and institutions are kindly advised to take note that a person who uses or keeps a motor vehicle or trailer not being an exempt motor vehicle on a road when particulars of the motor vehicle or trailer have not been entered in the register maintained by the licensing authority in accordance with Section 39 of the Road Traffic Act, 2004, Act 683, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding 250 penalty units or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 12 months or to both.
BY Melvin Tarlue