Majority Leader of Parliament and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin

The government has presented a new legislative instrument to Parliament that will repeal previous regulations allowing mining in forest reserves, as part of efforts to step up the fight against illegal mining.

The Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Repeal Instrument, 2024, seeks to nullify LI 2462, which permitted mining activities in certain forest reserves.

Announcing the initiative during a parliamentary session on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, Majority Leader and Head of Government Affairs, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, highlighted that the new LI was developed by the Ministry of Environment, of Science, Technology and Innovation, with the support of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with the Department of Justice and the Department of the Attorney General.

“This revocation is a clear demonstration of our commitment to combating the illegal mining threat that has wreaked havoc on our environment,” said Afenyo-Markin, emphasizing the urgency of combating the environmental damage caused by galamsey in the reserves forests, bodies of water and agricultural areas. lands.

The LOI forms a key part of the government’s wider strategy to combat illegal mining, which has caused widespread deforestation, polluted rivers and destroyed critical ecosystems over the past decade.

Forest reserves, which play a vital role in climate regulation, water conservation and maintaining biodiversity, have been particularly vulnerable to these destructive practices.

Although the new law aims to restrict mining activities in forest reserves, Afenyo-Markin stressed that its success will largely depend on its enforcement.

“We are determined to end this destructive practice,” he said, urging Ghanaians to unite behind government efforts to combat illegal mining and ensure environmental sustainability.

Afenyo-Markin also warned against politicizing the issue, calling for a collective and non-partisan approach to combating illegal mining.

“The challenge of illegal mining cuts across political divides, and we cannot afford to undermine these efforts by turning it into a political football,” he warned.

The introduction of the new LI has been welcomed by environmentalists and civil society organizations, who have long called for stronger protection of Ghana’s forests.

However, many are closely watching how the government will enforce the new regulations and rehabilitate areas already damaged by illegal mining.