John Mahama proposes legislation to combat illegal mining on cocoa farms

Speaking during a meeting with cocoa farmers in Kumasi on February 9, Mahama proposed the introduction of legislation to protect economic trees, specifically cocoa, from the adverse effects of unauthorized mining.

Addressing the issue of galamsey (illegal mining), Mahama suggested passing a law that would classify the destruction of economic trees, including cocoa, as an offense.

“We will check the menace of galamsey on cocoa trees, and one of the suggestions that have come is to pass a law on the destruction of economic trees, which would include cocoa, and so if somebody wilfully enters a cocoa farm and destroys it because he is mining gold or whatever he’s mining, he commits an offence unless he has properly got the permit and compensation has been calculated properly before anything like that can happen,” he said.

Mahama stressed the need to empower traditional authorities in the issuance of mining licenses, especially to safeguard forests. He highlighted the role of traditional leaders in protecting natural resources, suggesting that new laws should grant them a say in granting entry permits to forests.