The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has laid before Parliament the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) (Revocation) Instrument, 2025, to repeal Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2501, which came into force in June this year.
According to the Minister, the instrument, which matures and becomes law in 21 days, demonstrates the government’s commitment to protecting Ghana’s forests and water bodies from destructive mining practices.
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Regulation 2501 was originally introduced to amend portions of the 2022 L.I. 2462 to limit the powers of the President to grant permission for mining in forest reserves.
Addressing the media on Friday, October 31, after laying the Instrument, Mr. Buah explained that the repeal followed extensive consultations and expert reviews, which revealed that the regulation was inconsistent with sustainable environmental management principles.
“If you recall, L.I. 2462 was enacted in 2022 to ensure that environmental management principles are legally enforced in mining operations and various reserves. There was obviously a public outcry that led to an amendment of that L.I. by deleting Regulation 32 to effectively limit the powers of the President to allow mining in forest reserves,” Mr. Buah said.
He noted that although L.I. 2501 took effect on June 2, 2025, the Ministry resolved to revoke it following persistent public concerns and a thorough technical review.
“In the light of continued public outcry and after a complete consultation and review with experts, it became very clear that we could completely revoke L.I. 2501 and revert to the guidelines that were enacted in 2020,” the Minister stated.
Mr. Buah emphasized that the decision reflects the government’s unwavering environmental priorities under President John Dramani Mahama’s administration.
“This move clearly sends a message that the government is committed to protecting Ghana’s pristine forests and the environment. We are keeping our word. We are showing leadership and commitment to protecting the environment, the forests, and our water bodies. Every step we are taking aligns with what President Mahama has been preaching,” he stressed.
The Minister assured that the repeal will not compromise the growth of the mining sector but will rather strengthen environmental safeguards to ensure responsible and sustainable resource exploitation.