President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated his dedication to halting mining operations within Ghana’s forest reserves, revealing intentions to revise the Minerals and Mining Act of 2003 (Act 703) to impose a permanent ban on such activities.
During a briefing on the achievements of his administration in its initial 120 days, President Mahama presented a detailed plan aimed at reforming the mining industry. This strategy encompasses legal changes, enhanced enforcement measures, and initiatives for land restoration.
“In the first 120 days, we have taken significant steps through a five-point strategy to reform and purify the mining sector. This includes regulatory changes, bolstering law enforcement through joint task forces, the arrest and confiscation of mining equipment, collaboration with stakeholders, and the reclamation of damaged lands. Seven out of nine reserves have been restored, and illegal miners have been removed from these forest areas,” Mahama stated.
As part of this initiative, he noted that the legislative instrument L.I. 2462 was submitted to Parliament on March 20, 2025, aimed at amending the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations. This amendment seeks to eliminate the president’s discretionary authority to allow mining in forest reserves.
“Regarding the prohibition of mining in forest reserves, on March 20, 2025, we presented legislative instrument L.I. 2462 to Parliament to amend the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulation. This change will strip the president of the power to authorize mining in these protected areas,” he elaborated.
Mahama also committed to going further by directly addressing the Minerals and Mining Act itself.
“I intend to amend the Minerals and Mining Act, 2003 (Act 703) to entirely ban mining in forest reserves. This will ensure a thorough, legal, and absolute prohibition of mining activities in our forested areas,” he asserted.
This initiative is part of a larger effort to safeguard Ghana’s natural environment and mitigate the harmful effects of illegal mining, which has led to significant deforestation and pollution across various regions of the country.
