Mahama vows to amend Mining Act for permanent ban on forest mining

President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated his government’s resolve to end all mining activities within Ghana’s forest reserves, revealing plans to amend the Minerals and Mining Act, 2003 (Act 703) to enforce a complete and permanent ban.

Delivering a report on his administration’s performance over its initial 120 days, President Mahama unveiled a robust five-point strategy designed to overhaul and sanitise the country’s mining sector.

The strategy, he noted, encompasses legal reforms, reinforced enforcement mechanisms, stakeholder collaboration, and extensive land reclamation measures.

“In the first 120 days, we’ve taken decisive action through a five-point strategy to overhaul and sanitise the mining sector. This includes regulatory reforms and strengthening law enforcement, including joint task forces, arrest and seizures of mining equipment, stakeholder collaboration, and reclamation of degraded lands,” he outlined. “Seven out of nine reserves have been reclaimed, illegal miners have been flushed out of these forest reserves.”

As part of the broader effort, the President disclosed that on 20 March 2025, a Legislative Instrument—L.I. 2462—was submitted to Parliament to amend the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations.

“Concerning the ban on mining in forest reserves, on March 20, 2025, a legislative instrument L.I. 2462 was presented to Parliament to amend the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulation. This amendment removes the president’s power to approve mining in forest reserves,” he explained.

Going a step further, President Mahama declared his intention to revise the primary legislation that governs the mining industry in Ghana.

“I also plan to amend the Minerals and Mining Act, 2003 (Act 703) to completely prohibit mining in forest reserves. This would effectively, meticulously, legally, and entirely ban mining in our forest reserves,” he affirmed.

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