Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has raised sharp concerns regarding the structural framework of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), arguing that its current operational guidelines lack mechanisms to distinguish legally mined gold from gold sourced through illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Speaking at an engagement with the Christian Council of Ghana, Afenyo-Markin pointed out that GoldBod’s policy of purchasing gold from aggregators without stringent verification processes indirectly bankrolls and incentivizes illegal mining operations across the country. He emphasized that without clear regulations governing aggregators, the state apparatus effectively becomes a primary buyer of illegal gold, thereby undermining national efforts to combat environmental degradation.
The Minority Leader warned that the unchecked expansion of galamsey poses an existential threat to vital natural resources, making specific reference to the vulnerable Atewa Forest reserve and major water bodies. He called for immediate policy reforms and stricter regulatory oversight within gold trading systems to ensure government purchasing programs do not compromise the nation’s environmental protection standards.
Source: joyfmonline.com
