Forest Reserve
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, has announced that Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, which currently permits mining activities in forest reserves, will be revoked once Parliament reconvenes.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on Wednesday 23 April, Gyamfi emphasized the Mahama-led government’s commitment to environmental protection and the fight against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
“L.I. 2462 will be revoked by the NDC/Mahama government immediately Parliament resumes,” Gyamfi stated.
He acknowledged that there had been extensive legal deliberations over whether the law should be amended or scrapped altogether. While some legal experts feared a legislative vacuum if the regulation were fully revoked, others insisted that its complete repeal was necessary to remove presidential discretion that allowed mining leases in protected forest zones.
“In the end, the argument for full revocation prevailed. L.I. 2462 is poisonous — it must go in its entirety,” he declared. “We are a listening government, and we’ve taken the public’s concerns seriously.”
The revocation of L.I. 2462 is expected to form part of broader efforts by the government to curb environmental degradation and restore integrity to Ghana’s natural ecosystems.
About LI 2462
Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, formally known as the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, 2022, was introduced to provide a legal framework for granting permits and regulating mining activities within Ghana’s forest reserves. The regulation granted discretionary powers—primarily to the President and relevant ministers—to approve mining operations in protected forest zones under certain conditions.
The introduction of L.I. 2462 sparked widespread controversy and criticism from environmental groups, civil society organizations, and sections of the public. Critics argued that the law undermined Ghana’s environmental protection efforts and opened the door for legal exploitation of ecologically sensitive areas. Its implementation was seen by many as legitimizing activities that contributed to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and increased illegal mining (galamsey) operations.
The regulation became a political flashpoint, with strong public advocacy calling for its repeal. Environmental advocates stressed that no mining activity should be permitted in forest reserves, regardless of regulatory controls. The Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) has since taken a firm stance on the matter, pledging to revoke L.I. 2462 upon the resumption of Parliament as part of a broader environmental reform agenda.
