Dr John Osae-Kwapong, a Fellow at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and Project Director of The Democracy Project, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to honour his campaign promise to repeal Legislative Instrument (LI) 2462, which regulates aspects of Ghana’s fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

Speaking during a panel discussion on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, June 21, Dr Osae-Kwapong reminded President Mahama of his stated opposition to the LI during the 2024 election campaign.

He stressed that with the President now in office, must act decisively to demonstrate his commitment to reforming Ghana’s mining regulatory framework.

“He said during the campaign that he was not in favour of LI 2462 and would repeal it. Now he is President, and we are waiting to see whether he will follow through on that promise,” Dr Osae-Kwapong stated.

He added that the instrument has been widely criticised for its perceived ineffectiveness and the burden it places on small-scale miners.

Dr Osae-Kwapong emphasised that repealing LI 2462 would be a step towards creating a more transparent and accountable system for managing small-scale mining in Ghana.

“The President has an opportunity to show leadership on this issue. The time to act is now,” he noted, urging the government to prioritise sustainable reforms in the sector.