Environmental advocacy group A Rocha Ghana says the government’s decision to repeal Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462 will mark a major turning point in efforts to protect Ghana’s forest reserves from destructive mining activities, if fully implemented.
The Acting Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has initiated steps to revoke L.I. 2462 and its amended version, L.I. 2501. The move seeks to strengthen the national legal framework against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, which has led to widespread water pollution and forest destruction.
In a statement issued on August 29, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources assured the public that revoking the L.I.s would not create a regulatory vacuum. Instead, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will assume regulatory oversight through its existing frameworks, ensuring stricter environmental compliance for mining operations.
The Ministry said the repeal forms part of a broader national strategy to combat illegal mining, including initiatives such as the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) and the work of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS).
Speaking on the implications of the repeal on Channel One Newsroom on Saturday, August 30, Daryl Bosu, Deputy Director of A Rocha Ghana, stressed that the measure offers nationwide statutory protection for forest reserves.
“With this L.I. being repealed, it is not just 10% of our forest reserve that is going to be saved,” Bosu explained. “It is going to guarantee all forest reserves have some statute protecting them, and then it will be left to us to ensure that there is proficient effort to ensure compliance.”
