Move to revoke forest mining; Government presents L.I. to Parliament
By DL News
Published
1 min read
This revocation will result in a complete ban on mining within these areas.
The government has introduced a new Legislative Instrument (L.I.) to Parliament, aiming to repeal the existing law—Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) (Revocation) Instrument, L.I. 2462—that currently permits mining in forest reserves.
This revocation will result in a complete ban on mining within these areas.
In line with Article 11(7) of the Constitution, the new Instrument will become effective 21 sitting days after it is presented to Parliament unless two-thirds of Members of Parliament (MPs) vote to annul it.
This move is part of a broader effort announced by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo the previous week to tackle illegal mining, following increasing pressure and protests from various groups, including Organised Labour.
The proposed L.I., named the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) (Revocation) Instrument, 2024, seeks to revoke the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, 2022 (L.I. 2462), effectively prohibiting any mining activities in forest reserves.
On October 10, 2024, the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, formally notified Parliament of the new L.I. in a letter, requesting its presentation.
Parliament is set to reconvene shortly, where the new regulation will be discussed. The ban on mining in forest reserves is one of the key demands from the Ghana Coalition against Illegal Mining (Galamsey).
Under L.I. 2462, the Minerals Commission had the authority to grant mining licenses in forest reserves, barring certain protected areas like biodiversity zones, cultural heritage sites, and others.
