Researchers demand repeal of controversial mining law

Accra, Ghana - Research staff from Ghana's top scientific institutions are pressing Parliament to reconvene and repeal the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations 2022, known as LI 2462.

The law, passed last November, allows mining in forest reserves, sparking widespread concern about environmental degradation.

A joint statement from the Research Staff Association and Research Scientists Association of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission argues that repealing LI 2462 is crucial to combating illegal mining, or galamsey.

The staff point out that Parliament's swift action on tax exemptions demonstrates that urgency can be applied when needed. 

They insist that the same level of urgency is required to address the devastating effects of galamsey, which has ravaged communities and water sources.

“We further demand that Parliament be urgently recalled to immediately repeal the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulation 2022 (L.I. 2462), which permits mining in forest reserves. If Members of Parliament can be recalled to grant tax exemptions for companies they believe bring substantial investments, they should act with similar urgency to address the galamsey crisis."

“This issue is a ticking time bomb, threatening to derail all the economic gains and investments made by the nation, and thus immediate action is needed,” the researchers statement read in part.

The repeal call joins a growing chorus of voices demanding action against destructive mining practices.

Stakeholders, including the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference, have urged the government to reconsider LI 2462.

Source : Lead News Online