Govt moves to revoke forest mining laws
The Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) has started moves to revoke the legislative instrument that allows mining companies to prospect and mine in forest reserves.
The Caretaker Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, last week wrote to the Office of the Attorney-General for the formal and immediate revocation of Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462 and its amended version, L.I. 2501. The decision is a cornerstone of the government's enhanced strategy to combat the menace of illegal mining (galamsey), which has caused severe environmental degradation across the country.
A statement signed by the Director of Communications for the Ministry of Lands, Ama Mawusi Mawuenyefia, and issued in Accra said the Office of the Attorney-General had indicated its ‘no objection’ to the request, paving the way for the revocation to proceed.
Assurance
The statement assured the public that revoking the L.I. would not create a regulatory vacuum.
The ministry expressed the confidence that the existing framework of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would provide robust provisions to govern all mining activities and ensure strict compliance with environmental standards.
It said revoking the L.I. was a critical step to unify and strengthen the regulatory framework and create a cohesive front for all stakeholders in the national fight against illegal mining.
“This move is designed to end the severe environmental devastation that has polluted Ghana’s water bodies and degraded its forest reserves,” the statement said.
It added that it directly complemented efforts on the ground, such as the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) and the operational coordination of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS).
The holistic strategy, the ministry said, was central to the government's unwavering commitment to restore the nation's ecosystems “to make our waters blue and our forests green once more.”
