Galamsey: A Rocha Ghana lauds government for revoking L.I. 2462

The Deputy National Director of A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bosu, has praised the government's move to revoke the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Revocation Instrument, 2025, describing it as commendable and progressive.

The Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Revocation Instrument, 2025, was laid before Parliament on Friday, October 31. The instrument seeks to revoke L.I. 2501, which limited the President's power to authorise mining in forest reserves, and fully repeal L.I. 2462, a regulation widely criticized for enabling environmentally harmful mining activities.

The move forms part of the government's broader strategy to tackle illegal mining, also known as galamsey, through initiatives such as the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) and the work of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS).

Environmental groups have long criticized L.I. 2462 for opening forest reserves to industrial mining, arguing that it undermined forest protection and granted excessive discretionary powers to the Minister and President. The revocation is expected to strengthen safeguards for Ghana's forests and reinforce the fight against illegal mining.

Speaking on the development on Channel One Newsroom on Friday, October 31, Bosu welcomed the decision, noting that it signals a clear government stance against mining in protected forest areas.

He stated, “First of all I must acknowledge that this step taken by the government and led by the acting minister of environment is very commendable and progressive, and we are very happy that they have finally taken a step and created the posture that government is no longer going to take mining in our forest reserves because it is a good thing to do.”

—citinewsroom