Accra: The Coalition of CSOs working on extractives, anti-corruption, and good governance has called on the government to withdraw all licenses granted for reconnaissance, prospecting, exploration, and mining in forest and protected areas. They have also demanded the repeal of the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulation 2022 (L.I. 2462) to protect Ghana's remaining forest covers from indiscriminate mining activities. According to Ghana News Agency, the Coalition urged the government to establish a Multi-stakeholder Group instead of an interministerial committee to tackle illegal mining, aiming to reduce rent-seeking behavior and ensure a collective effort against illegal mining. The Coalition includes organizations such as the Africa Centre for Energy Policy, Natural Resource Governance Institute, iWatch Africa, and others, who made these demands in a joint statement delivered by Mr. Geoffery Kabutey Ocansey, the Executive Director of Revenue Mobilization Africa, during the Africa Wat er Week 2024 press engagement on galamsey. The Coalition emphasized that the two major political parties, the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress, should publicly declare their commitment to taking effective and lasting measures to combat illegal mining if they win the December 7, 2024, elections. They also expressed their dedication to monitoring the government's actions and political resolve in addressing the issue of illegal mining over the long term. In a keynote address, Mr. Kenneth Ashigbey, Coordinator of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey and CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunication, encouraged Ghanaians to actively participate in the fight against illegal mining, urging them to speak up and take action against the menace. He emphasized the need for citizens to be proactive rather than passive, warning that posterity would judge those who remain silent.