The Deputy Secretary-General of the Ghana Federation of Labour, Kenneth Koomson, has announced that the government has agreed to revoke Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, which allows mining in forest reserves.
This announcement came after multiple civil action against government by many sector as part of calls for a ban on illegal mining
According to Mr. Koomson, during an engagement on Thursday, October 3, the government addressed Organised Labour’s demands, which included declaring a state of emergency, revoking L.I. 2462, and deploying the military to protect forest areas and water bodies from illegal mining activities.
Speaking on News Night, Mr. Koomson stated that the government has committed to addressing these concerns and specifically agreed to take steps to revoke L.I. 2462.
“The substance of this meeting is for the government to respond to the demands that Organised Labour has made with respect to the galamsey issue and how our forest reserves are being depleted. The government agreed to respond officially to our demands. In fact, the government agreed that L.I. 2462 was going to be revoked when parliament reconvenes,” he said.
Mr. Koomson also noted that while various topics were discussed, Organised Labour insisted on receiving an official, written response from the government to ensure transparency and clarity.
“When we receive the response, we will call an Organised Labour meeting, present the government’s response, discuss it thoroughly, and then issue our response. This is our position,” he added.
The decision follows mounting concerns over illegal mining, known as “galamsey,” which has led to the depletion of Ghana’s forest reserves. A recent report by The Fourth Estate highlighted how politically exposed individuals were seeking licenses to mine in forest reserves, including areas meant to be untouched.
Environmentalists have also been urging the government to withdraw L.I. 2462 to safeguard these forest reserves.
