Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has raised concerns about the structure of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), arguing that its current system does not clearly distinguish between legally mined gold and gold produced through illegal mining.
Speaking during an engagement with the Christian Council of Ghana, Mr Afenyo-Markin questioned the regulatory framework governing GoldBod and gold aggregators, warning that the absence of clear safeguards could create incentives for galamsey.
“The way GoldBod has been structured, it is rather encouraging the illegal mining activities we have in our country,” he said.
According to him, GoldBod’s current arrangement creates concerns about the source of gold purchased through aggregators.
“Currently, GoldBod does not have a regulation that distinguishes between regularly mined gold and galamsey gold. So it is like whatever the aggregators bring, we will buy. But are there some regulations to guide aggregators?” he asked.
He said the situation was particularly worrying given the scale at which illegal mining is taking place across the country.
“Now, everybody is mining. Galamsey has gotten out of hand,” he added.
Mr Afenyo-Markin warned that the continued destruction caused by illegal mining could have serious consequences for Ghana’s forests and water resources.
He specifically mentioned the Atewa Forest, cautioning that the reserve could face further degradation if stronger measures are not implemented.
“If we are not careful, Atewa Forest will not be there for us again,” he cautioned.
The Minority Leader also drew attention to the growing contamination of water bodies, saying the pollution was making water treatment increasingly expensive and affecting the operations of some treatment plants.
“I once chaired the Ghana Water Limited Board. The report coming from Ghana Water is that not only is it becoming more expensive to treat the water, but the extent of contamination of our water bodies is such that some treatment plant cannot even function,” he said.
Mr Afenyo-Markin therefore called for stronger regulation and oversight of gold aggregation and trading to ensure that efforts to formalise the gold sector do not undermine the fight against illegal mining.
