The Minority in Parliament has raised concerns over former President John Dramani Mahama’s proposed GoldBod initiative, warning that the policy could aggravate illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey, rather than curb it.
According to the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the GoldBod concept—intended to regulate gold purchasing and streamline the trade—risks creating new loopholes that illegal miners could exploit if not carefully structured and enforced.
He argued that without strong oversight mechanisms, the initiative may inadvertently legitimise gold sourced from unlawful mining activities.
Afenyo-Markin contended that galamsey remains one of Ghana’s most pressing environmental and socio-economic challenges, citing the destruction of farmlands, pollution of major water bodies, and threats to public health.
Addressing the press at the Minority Caucus’s “Holding Government to Account”, he said the government has failed to clearly outline its policy direction and concrete measures for combating illegal mining.
He cautioned that any policy touching on gold trading must prioritise strict traceability and enforcement to avoid undoing gains made in the fight against illegal mining.
He said “The issue of Gold-for-Reserves. We, the Minority are not opposed to that policy because the policy was started by us. However, the establishment of the GoldBod as a regulator and also an operator is, in a way, directly encouraging galamsey activities.
“Our water bodies are being polluted. In fact, Organised Labour sounded the alarm and indicated that the galamsey activities have worsened.
“This government has failed to provide evidence of its commitment to the fight against galamsey. It is clear that they are involved in a P.R gimmick, looking at the optics rather than the substance.
“Today, we do not know whether GoldBoad makes a distinction between regularly mined gold and illicit gold. All we know is that they are talking about their success story and the tons of gold they have purchased.”
