Government presents new Legislative Instrument to limit mining in Forest Reserves

The government has introduced a new Legislative Instrument (LI) in Parliament to revoke previous regulations that allowed mining in forest reserves.

The Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Revocation Instrument, 2024 aims to overturn LI 2462 and demonstrates the government’s commitment to addressing illegal mining (galamsey), which has severely harmed Ghana's environment.

Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who announced the LI on October 15, stressed the importance of halting environmental destruction. He called for non-partisan support, emphasizing that protecting Ghana’s forests and ecosystems requires strong enforcement and collective responsibility.

The proposed LI will undergo parliamentary review before being enacted.