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Lands Minister (acting Environment Minister) Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has laid before Parliament a new legislative instrument seeking to revoke L.I. 2462. The legislation is a regulation that empowers the President to grant mining leases within forest reserves. The move marks a significant policy shift in the government’s efforts to strengthen environmental protection and curb deforestation caused by mining activities. L.I. 2462, passed in 2022, had granted the President discretionary authority to approve mining in forest reserves, a provision that drew strong criticism from environmentalists, civil society groups, and sections of the public who warned it opened the door to large-scale environmental degradation. By revoking the law, government officials say the aim is to restore stricter safeguards around Ghana’s forest ecosystems and reaffirm the state’s commitment to sustainable resource management. The instrument, once approved by Parliament, will permanently strip the presidency of unilateral powers to issue mining permits in protected forest areas.
