The Minority in Parliament has raised red flags over former President John Dramani Mahama’s proposed GoldBod initiative, cautioning that the policy could deepen the illegal small-scale mining crisis—commonly known as galamsey—rather than resolve it.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said the GoldBod concept, which is intended to regulate gold purchasing and streamline the trade, could create new loopholes for illegal miners if it is not carefully designed and strictly enforced. He warned that weak oversight structures could end up legitimising gold sourced from unlawful mining operations.
He stressed that galamsey remains one of Ghana’s gravest environmental and socio-economic threats, citing the destruction of farmlands, contamination of major water bodies, and growing risks to public health.
Speaking at the Minority Caucus’ Holding Government to Account press briefing, Afenyo-Markin criticised the government for what he described as a lack of policy clarity and concrete action in the fight against illegal mining. He argued that any framework governing gold trade must be built on rigorous traceability and enforcement, or risk undoing progress made in tackling galamsey.
While addressing the Gold-for-Reserves policy, Afenyo-Markin clarified that the Minority does not oppose the initiative, noting that it was originally introduced by his side of the House. However, he objected strongly to the structure of GoldBod, particularly its dual role.
“The establishment of the GoldBod as a regulator and also an operator is, in a way, directly encouraging galamsey activities,” he said.
He further observed that the environmental damage from illegal mining continues to escalate, adding that organised labour groups have also voiced concern about worsening pollution of water bodies.
“Our water bodies are being polluted. In fact, Organised Labour has sounded the alarm and indicated that galamsey activities have worsened,” he stated.
Afenyo-Markin accused the government of lacking genuine commitment to the anti-galamsey fight, describing its approach as largely cosmetic.
“This government has failed to provide evidence of its commitment to the fight against galamsey. It is clear they are engaged in a public relations gimmick, focusing on optics rather than substance,” he said.
He also questioned the operational transparency of GoldBod, arguing that it remains unclear whether the body differentiates between legally mined gold and gold from illicit sources.
“Today, we do not know whether GoldBod makes a distinction between legally mined gold and illicit gold. All we hear are success stories and claims about the tonnes of gold purchased,” he added.
