Three Members of Parliament (MPs) from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are pushing forward a Private Members’ Bill aimed at repealing Section 3(2) of the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, 2022 (L.I. 2462).
This regulation grants the President the authority to issue mining leases for exploration within forest reserves in Ghana.
The Tamale North MP, Alhassan Suhuyini, MP for Madina, Francis-Xavier Sosu, and North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, submitted the bill in a formal memo to the Clerk of Parliament on October 22.
They stressed their responsibility as lawmakers to ensure Ghanaians’ right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment while emphasizing their role in holding the Executive accountable.
The MPs highlighted the significant environmental degradation and adverse health, economic, and social consequences resulting from the current regulations.
They noted that the Ghana Institute of Foresters (GIF) had expressed dismay over the passage of L.I. 2462, which facilitated mining in forest reserves.
The legislators are advocating for the repeal of the regulation, citing its devastating impacts on the environment and public health.
In parallel, the government has announced plans to introduce a new L.I. aimed at revoking previous regulations that permitted mining in these sensitive areas, demonstrating a commitment to environmental conservation.
The Effutu MP and Leader of Government Business, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, disclosed that the new regulation is part of a broader strategy to address illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, which has caused extensive damage to Ghana’s natural resources.
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