The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (EduWatch), Kofi Asare, has called on the government to ban mining in forest reserves outright.
He criticized the move to amend L.I. 2462, the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, 2022, arguing that it is a mere pretence by the government rather than a genuine effort to regulate mining activities.
Many environmental advocates have opposed the law, stating that it permits mining in Ghana’s forest reserves, including biodiversity hotspots, and have called for its repeal due to environmental concerns.
In a social media post on Saturday, March 29, Kofi Asare expressed skepticism about the government’s ability to regulate mining effectively.
“GoG has not demonstrated capacity to effectively regulate anything, including mining in forests.
“The gov’t must SIMPLY BAN mining in forests and stop pretending they can amend L.I. 2462 and regulate forest mining. Leave our forests alone!” he wrote.
Meanwhile, the proposed amendment—already facing strong criticism from anti-galamsey advocates—seeks to repeal the President’s power to grant mining permits in forest reserves.
