Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has raised concerns about the regulatory framework governing the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), arguing that the current system does not adequately distinguish legally mined gold from gold produced through illegal mining.
Speaking during an engagement with the Christian Council, Mr Afenyo-Markin questioned the oversight of GoldBod and gold aggregators, warning that weaknesses in the system could inadvertently create incentives for illegal mining, commonly known as 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 currently lacks clear regulations that distinguish between gold produced through lawful mining operations and gold associated with illegal mining.
“So it is like whatever the aggregators bring, we will buy. But are there some regulations to guide aggregators? Now, everybody is mining. Galamsey has gotten out of hand,” he added.
Concerns over environmental damage
The Minority Leader also warned that the continued expansion of illegal mining could have severe consequences for Ghana’s forests and water bodies.
He specifically cited the Atewa Forest as an environmentally sensitive area that could face further degradation without stronger measures to protect it.
“If we are not careful, Atewa forest will not be there for us again,” he cautioned.
Mr Afenyo-Markin further expressed concern about the growing cost of treating water contaminated by illegal mining activities.
He said the level of pollution in some water bodies had reached a point where certain treatment plants were struggling to operate effectively.
“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.
Call for stronger oversight
Mr Afenyo-Markin called for stronger regulatory oversight of gold trading and aggregation to ensure that efforts to formalise Ghana’s gold sector do not inadvertently undermine the fight against illegal mining.
He argued that clearer rules for aggregators and stronger mechanisms for tracing the origin of gold would be necessary to prevent illegally mined gold from entering the formal market.
The Minority Leader’s concerns come amid ongoing national efforts to tackle galamsey, which has been blamed for widespread environmental degradation and the contamination of several water bodies across the country.
