The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah, has laid a new legislative instrument (L.I. 2505) in Parliament to prevent mining in forest reserves.
The instrument, known as the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) (Revocation Instrument, 2025), will take effect once it matures after 21 sitting days.
On maturity, the instrument will revoke L.I. 2462 which was enacted in 2022 to ensure that environmental management principles are legally enforced in mining operations in forest reserves.
Public outcry
Speaking to the press in Parliament after laying the instrument today (Oct 30), Mr Kofi-Buah said it was obviously a public outcry led to an amendment of L.I 2462 by deleting Regulation 3.2 to effectively limit the powers of the president to allow mining forest reserves.
“So that is effectively what I have done today and it clearly must send a message that this government is committed to basically ensuring that we continue to protect our pristine forest reserve and our environment,” he said.
In a bid to keep its word, he said the current administration was also committed to demonstrating to Ghanaians that it was ready to protecting the environment, forests and water bodies.
“And every step we are taking is clearly in line with what President Mahama has been preaching,” he said.
