The minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon Samuel Abu Jinapor, has disclosed that government is considering placing a total ban on all small scale mining activities in the country’s forest reserves.

This is one of two measures Abu Jinapor revealed as part of government’s efforts to fight land degradation and deforestation, which have become closesly associated with mining activities in Ghana.

Speaking in an interview, the Minister stated that a total ban on small scale mining activities would go a long way to protect the about 261 forest reserves in the country. According to him, the idea is to find whatever means to protect these forest reserves from the attack of illegal small scale mining.

“So yes there are difficulties, yes there are challenges, but what I want to say is that we are absolutely committed to dealing with this age-old canker of illegal small scale mining.

“As you know I placed a ban on prospecting, recognizance, exploration and or exploratory activities in forest reserves. And that has helped a great deal. We’ve not banned mining in forest reserves because as you know Newmont for example is mining in forest reserve, Chirano is mining in forest reserve, but we’re examining the possibility of banning small scale mining altogether in forest reserves.”
Abu Jinapor

The Minister disclosed that the government is planning on introducing a new legislation which will rule that, private individuals and monarchs who give out their lands to small scale illegal miners would lose their lands.

This, he believes will help combat the menace, as it is causing danger to the country’s natural resources such water bodies and lands .

“These are some new measures we’re intending to bring on board. For example, we’ve begun examining or interrogating the possibility of going to Parliament to seek legislative intervention which will say that anybody who wants to give out land; any stool, skin, family, clan or individual who gives out land for purposes of illegal small scale mining, the state will have the right to confiscate the land.

“So we’ve begun the examination of that. We believe that may help. So these are additional measures we intend to roll out. So it is that we’re also looking at banning mining altogether except large scale mining in forest reserves in our country.”
Abu Jinapor

Government Not Sponsoring Delegates At COP27

The Minister further refuted claims that the Ghanaian government sponsored all the members of its delegation who attended the COP27 in Egypt.

According to him, most of Ghana’s delegates to the conference were being sponsored by their respective non-governmental organisations and thus are not a financial burden on the nation’s coffers. His statement comes on the back of allegations that the government had sent a huge number of delegation to the conference.

Speaking on the circumstance surrounding the number of delegates, Samuel Jinapor explained that many of Ghana’s delegates are members of NGOs operating both in Ghana and abroad who had received accreditation from the Ministry of Environment to attend the conference.

“I have met so many NGOs, all of them not even from Ghana, some in the United States, some in the United Kingdom, in several other countries but who are Ghanaians and who are coming for this conference as Ghana delegates.

“So you have to apply to the Ministry of Environment, get accreditation then you can attend the conference but you’ll be registered as a Ghana delegate and therefore form part of the Ghana delegation.”
Abu Jinapor