Repealing L.I. 2462 without enforcement is futile – Erastus Asare Donkor warns

Erastus Asare Donkor is an award-winning environmental journalist with JoyNews. He warns that repealing Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462 won't protect Ghana's forests. This is true unless existing mining laws are enforced effectively.

His comments come as public pressure grows to repeal L.I. 2462. This regulation has faced criticism for allowing mining in protected forest reserves.

At the JoyNews National Dialogue on May 8, Mr. Asare Donkor spoke about the issue. He emphasized that legal reforms need strict enforcement to be effective. Without this, Ghana will revert to its previous problems.

“Repealing L.I. 2462 without strict enforcement will take us back to zero,” he stated. If the law is repealed but not enforced, illegal activities will continue.

He mentioned specific forest reserves like Offin Shelterbelt and Subri. Illegal miners have returned with excavators, causing more damage. “The problem isn’t just about what the law allows,” he said.

Many illegal miners invade these areas without licenses. They destroy forests for gold, pocketing profits while the state gains nothing.

Mr. Asare Donkor highlighted the high cost of land reclamation after illegal mining. “Reclaiming an acre can cost millions of dollars,” he explained. Even then, full restoration is often impossible and takes years or decades.

He urged stakeholders to focus on enforcement alongside any legislative changes. Without proper enforcement, Ghana’s forests and water bodies will face irreversible harm.