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In an attempt to prevent the devastation of the nation’s natural environment, President John Dramani Mahama has declared a government policy that will prohibit the granting of mining licenses in all forest reserves.
He stated that the government would act quickly to cancel any permits granted for the same reason under the previous administration when speaking at the swearing-in of the third group of ministers on Thursday, January 30.
Mr. Mahama emphasized the importance of protecting Ghana’s forests from unsustainable exploitation and illicit mining, or galamsey.
“It shall be the policy of this government to ban the issuance of leases for mining in all forest reserves. We must also move promptly to revoke all leases issued for the same purpose under the previous government.”
The President went on to clarify that, despite recent allegations to the contrary, his administration has not approved any mining operations in forest areas.
He urged the appropriate authorities to act quickly to stop illicit mining, particularly the Attorney General, the Minister for the Interior, and the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.
“No member of this government is permitted to engage in any form of small-scale mining or galamsey. Any such persons will face swift and severe sanctions,” he warned.
In order to create a coordinated approach to dealing with the problem, President Mahama also announced preparations for a nationwide stakeholder consultation on illegal mining.
Reclaiming degraded lands and restoring forest reserves, training small-scale miners in sustainable mining practices, creating a Gold Board to ensure Ghana fully benefits from its gold resources, and implementing a River Guard program to employ youth from impacted communities in protecting water bodies are some of the key initiatives, he noted.
In the final week of former President Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, more than 100 mining-related permits were granted, according to data from the Ghana Mining Repository.
Prior to President John Dramani Mahama’s swearing-in, 102 of the 103 licenses granted in 2025 were given out between January 1st and January 6th.
This indicates that under the present administration, just one license has been granted.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
