In a major policy shift to combat illegal mining, the government has initiated the process to revoke the law that legalizes mining in the country’s forest reserves.
The Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) has formally requested that the Office of the Attorney-General revoke Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462 and its amended version, L.I. 2501. This move is a central part of the government’s enhanced strategy to end the severe environmental damage caused by illegal mining, known as galamsey.
The Attorney-General’s office has already given its approval for the revocation to proceed.
No Regulatory Gap The Ministry has assured the public that revoking the law will not create a legal vacuum for miners. In a statement, it expressed confidence that the existing framework of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is robust enough to govern all mining activities and enforce environmental standards.
The revocation is intended to unify regulations and strengthen the national fight against galamsey.
“This move is designed to end the severe environmental devastation that has polluted Ghana’s water bodies and degraded its forest reserves,” the ministry’s statement said.
This legal action complements on-the-ground efforts like the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (RCOMSDEP) and the work of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS).
The government describes this as a holistic strategy central to its commitment to “restore the nation’s ecosystems to make our waters blue and our forests green once more.”
