Gov’t to Repeal L.I. 2462 Permitting Mining in Forest Reserves – Felix Kwakye Ofosu

The Minister liable for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has announced that the authorities volition determination to repeal Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, which presently allows mining activities wrong Ghana’s wood reserves.

This marks a important displacement successful argumentation absorption aft an earlier effort to amend the instrumentality faced beardown absorption from biology groups specified arsenic A Rocha Ghana and the Media Coalition Against Galamsey.

Speaking astatine a World Press Freedom Day lawsuit organised by the German Embassy and the UK High Commission successful Accra, Kwakye Ofosu reaffirmed the government’s resoluteness successful combating amerciable mining, stressing that the combat remains a apical priority.

“There is immoderate legislative enactment that is presently going on. On March 20, the Minister for Environment laid L.I. 2462 successful Parliament. The intent primitively was to amend it and instrumentality distant the president’s powerfulness to assistance licenses successful wood reserves,” helium explained.

“But the caller reasoning is that it should beryllium revoked entirely. I person connection from the Attorney General that helium volition propulsion for this erstwhile Parliament resumes,” helium added.

Kwakye Ofosu besides described amerciable mining, popularly known arsenic galamsey, arsenic a nationalist situation that indispensable beryllium treated with the aforesaid urgency arsenic terrorism.

“It is the argumentation of the authorities of Ghana that galamsey indispensable beryllium seen arsenic a monumental challenge. We dainty persons engaged successful it the aforesaid mode we volition dainty terrorists,” helium said. “We person not relented successful addressing it.”

Environmental groups person agelong warned astir the devastating consequences of mining successful wood reserves, citing deforestation, biodiversity loss, and the demolition of h2o bodies. The determination to revoke L.I. 2462 is apt to beryllium welcomed by conservation advocates.