Ghana's Cabinet approved amendments to the 2006 Minerals and Mining Act for submission to Parliament as part of efforts to strengthen oversight of the mining sector, increase state revenues, expand local participation and curb illegal mining, Reuters reported on July 15. The proposed reforms would replace existing reconnaissance and prospecting licenses with a single five-year exploration license subject to progress reviews, establish district mining committees to give communities a greater role in licensing decisions, and require mining companies to negotiate development agreements directly with host communities.