ATTORNEY-GENERAL: NEW L.I. TO REVOKE CONTROVERSIAL FOREST MINING REGULATION

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has announced that a new Legislative Instrument (L.I. 2501) will be presented to Parliament on October 14, 2025, to revoke L.I. 2462, which has been criticised for allowing mining in forest reserves.

Speaking at President John Mahama’s dialogue with civil society organisations on illegal mining, Dr. Ayine said the move forms part of legal and regulatory reforms to strengthen the fight against galamsey.

He explained that under the current Minerals and Mining Act, licences and leases can be granted across the country, including in forest reserves, territorial waters, and exclusive economic zones. To correct this, a new bill is being drafted to expressly prohibit mining in forest reserves.

“One of the things we can do is to identify all forest reserves and put them in a schedule attached to the bill, making it clear that no mining licences or leases can be granted in respect of those reserves,” he said, adding that such a measure would prevent future governments from easily reversing protections.

Dr. Ayine revealed that work on L.I. 2501 has been completed in collaboration with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources. Once laid before Parliament, it will take 21 days to mature, after which L.I. 2462 will cease to exist.