The government has introduced a new Legislative Instrument (LI) to Parliament that will revoke previous regulations allowing mining in forest reserves as part of efforts to step up its fight against illegal mining.
The Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Revocation Instrument, 2024, seeks to annul LI 2462, which had permitted mining activities in some forest reserves.
Announcing the initiative during a parliamentary session on Tuesday, 15 October 2024, Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, , emphasised that the new LI was developed by the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, with support from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney-General's Department. "This revocation is a clear demonstration of our commitment to addressing the illegal mining menace that has wreaked havoc on our environment," Afenyo-Markin indicated, underscoring the urgency of tackling the environmental damage caused by galamsey in forest reserves, water bodies, and agricultural lands.
The LI forms a key part of the government's broader strategy to curb illegal mining, which has caused widespread deforestation, polluted rivers, and destroyed critical ecosystems over the past decade.