Three National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament (MPs) have proposed a Private Members’ Bill to repeal Section 3(2) of the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, 2022 (L.I. 2462). This regulation currently empowers the President to issue mining leases for exploration within Ghana’s forest reserves.
The bill was submitted in a formal memo to the Clerk of Parliament by Tamale North MP Alhassan Suhuyini, Madina MP Francis-Xavier Sosu, and North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
The MPs underscored their responsibility as lawmakers to safeguard Ghanaians’ right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. They stressed that part of their duty is to hold the Executive accountable while formulating laws and policies that protect public health, ecosystems, and the environment.
Additionally, they highlighted that the Ghana Institute of Foresters (GIF) had previously voiced its concerns over the passage of L.I. 2462, which facilitates mining activities in forest reserves. The legislators asserted that this regulation has led to substantial environmental degradation, along with detrimental health, economic, and social impacts.
