President John Dramani Mahama has pledged to introduce lasting reforms to Ghana’s mining laws, by amending the Minerals and Mining Act, 2003 (Act 703) to enforce a total and permanent ban on mining in forest reserves.
Providing updates on his first 120 days of his administration, President Mahama detailed a five-point plan designed to clean up the mining sector.
These includesl tightening regulations, enhancing law enforcement with joint task forces, arresting offenders, confiscating equipment, engaging stakeholders, and reclaiming damaged lands.
“So far, seven out of nine forest reserves have been reclaimed, and illegal miners have been removed from those areas,” he reported.
As part of this initiative, Mahama said a legislative instrument (L.I. 2462) was submitted to Parliament on March 20, 2025, to amend the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations. The amendment eliminates the president’s authority to permit mining in forest reserves.
He emphasized his intention to take it further by altering the core mining legislation itself.
“I intend to amend the Minerals and Mining Act to permanently and unequivocally outlaw mining in our forest reserves,” Mahama said.
This initiative, he added, is central to preserving Ghana’s environment and tackling the long-standing issues of deforestation and pollution caused by illegal mining.
