Mining in forest reserves to ban permanently – President Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has announced a permanent ban on mining in Ghana’s forest reserves.

During his campaign, Mahama promised to scrap LI 2462. However, he now seeks to amend it. This decision has disappointed environmental advocates and civil society organizations.

In a speech about his administration's first 120 days, Mahama said, “We’ve taken decisive action through a five-point strategy.” This strategy aims to overhaul the mining sector. It includes regulatory reforms and stronger law enforcement.

Mahama mentioned joint task forces for arrests and equipment seizures. He also highlighted collaboration with stakeholders and reclaiming degraded lands.

“Seven out of nine reserves have been reclaimed,” he noted. Illegal miners have been removed from these areas.

On March 20, 2025, Mahama presented L.I. 2462 to Parliament. This amendment will limit the president's power over mining approvals in forest reserves.

He plans to amend the Minerals and Mining Act of 2003 to prohibit mining entirely in these areas.

Meanwhile, the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining is urging the government to implement an excavator tracking system nationwide.

Dr. Ken Ashigbey, the Coalition’s Convenor, stated that excavators are not easily concealed like mobile phones. Tracking them would help police monitor their activities effectively.

He emphasized that if an excavator is misused, police should identify it using its QR code at checkpoints.

Ashigbey believes this system can combat illegal mining effectively and urges officials to scale up efforts against galamsey.