GoldBod’s structure encouraging galamsey – Afenyo-Markin

Afenyo-Markin has expressed concerns about the structure of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), arguing it fails to differentiate legally mined gold from gold associated with illegal mining practices. During a meeting with the Christian Council, he questioned the regulatory framework governing GoldBod and gold aggregators, warning that the lack of clear distinctions could inadvertently promote galamsey.

The current GoldBod structure, he explained, does not differentiate between regularly mined gold and gold from illegal mining operations. As a result, any gold brought by aggregators is bought without any regulatory checks. This, according to Afenyo-Markin, inadvertently encourages illegal mining activities. He also highlighted the severe environmental impact of illegal mining, particularly its threat to Ghana's forests and water bodies.

The Atewa Forest, a region already under threat, could face further degradation if no stronger measures are taken, Afenyo-Markin cautioned. He further warned about the escalating costs of treating contaminated water, noting that the scale of pollution has made it challenging for some water treatment plants to operate effectively.

As someone who once chaired the Ghana Water Limited Board, he reported that not only is water treatment becoming more expensive, but the level of contamination in bodies of water has reached a point where some treatment plants are unable to function. He called for stricter oversight of gold trading and aggregation processes to prevent the formalization of the gold sector from undermining the ongoing fight against illegal mining.