The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has revealed that the government will soon roll out significant interventions to combat illegal mining, also known as galamsey.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show with Bernard Avle on Citi FM on Tuesday, October 8, Mr. Jinapor described the recent meeting with Organised Labour, which had planned a strike for October 10, as “very productive and fruitful.” He confirmed that the government is taking decisive steps, starting with the repeal of Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, which currently allows mining in forest reserves.
“Consensus was reached that the government will take steps to repeal L.I. 2462 when Parliament resumes and also ensure the swift prosecution of offenders. Although Organised Labour made an announcement on Monday regarding the strike, there are additional interventions we are working on, which will be announced in the coming days. River guards and the navy will patrol our water bodies, along with other measures,” Jinapor explained.
The minister clarified that while agriculture is the primary cause of deforestation, the government remains committed to tackling the galamsey issue. He emphasized that mining, particularly in river bodies and forest reserves, is strictly prohibited and efforts to combat this destruction have been ongoing.
“The number one driver of deforestation is agriculture, though mining contributes as well. Mining in river bodies is banned, and these areas are designated as red zones. Mining is not allowed within 100 meters of our water bodies, and we are considering increasing this to 200 meters. Small-scale mining is also not permitted in forest areas,” Jinapor noted.
He also dismissed the notion that the government’s efforts against illegal mining began only in response to recent pressure from Organised Labour, stressing that actions like *Operation Halt* have been occurring regularly. “The impression should never be created that we are just now taking action against this menace. *Operation Halt* has been happening almost every fortnight, and we are going to intensify it.”
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