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In a significant move to curb illegal mining, the Ghanaian government has initiated the process to revoke Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, which currently allows mining in forest reserves.
This decision follows intense pressure from various groups, including Organised Labour, which threatened a nationwide strike if the government failed to take decisive action against illegal mining.
L.I. 2462, enacted in 2022, permitted the Minerals Commission to grant licenses for mining in forest reserves, excluding protected zones like biodiversity areas and cultural sites. However, critics argue that the law’s weak enforcement has led to widespread environmental destruction and illegal mining.
Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Godfred Yeboah Dame has presented a new Legislative Instrument, Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) (Revocation) Instrument, 2024, to Parliament. This instrument aims to revoke L.I. 2462 and make mining in forest reserves illegal.
The revocation will take effect 21 sitting days after Parliament reconvenes unless annulled by a two-thirds majority vote. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced additional measures to combat illegal mining, including deploying soldiers and law enforcement agencies to remove illegal miners from water bodies and forest reserves, establishing special courts to prosecute illegal mining operators, and collaborating with Organised Labour and other stakeholders to fight illegal mining.
Meanwhile, the Organised Labour has suspended its planned strike, citing the government’s commitment to addressing their demands. However, the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has opted to proceed with its strike against galamsey.
