‘Not a single licence issued’ – Mahama on mining in forest reserves

President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated his government’s commitment to ending illegal mining, stating that no licence has been granted for mining in Ghana’s forest reserves since his return to office.

Speaking at his first media engagement of his second term on September 10, 2025, the President said the Cabinet had initiated processes to repeal Legislative Instrument (LI) 2462, which permits mining in reserves.

“To be clear, not a single licence has been issued to any company to mine in our forest reserves. The repeal of LI 2462 is intended to crystallise in law what we have already demonstrated in practice,” Mahama stated.

He disclosed that nine forest reserves previously overrun by illegal miners had been reclaimed, with military personnel now deployed permanently to protect them from re-invasion.

According to the President, 440 excavators, more than 1,400 water pumps and 300 chamfang machines have been seized in recent months. In addition, 980 security personnel have been recruited and deployed to safeguard water bodies and reserves, with another 1,020 expected to be added by the end of the year.

Mr Mahama noted that the next phase of the strategy would focus on restoring degraded water bodies and reclaiming lands. Feasibility studies for water restoration projects are underway, alongside measures to track all imported earth-moving equipment through a coordinated system involving the Transport Ministry, Customs, DVLA, and the Minerals Commission.

“So far, 1,015 excavators and mining equipment have been registered and fitted with tracking devices, with hundreds more undergoing the process,” he revealed.

The President stressed that the crackdown formed part of a broader environmental protection strategy aimed at safeguarding Ghana’s natural resources for future generations.

Read also…