Parliament has passed the Ghana Gold Board Bill 2025, establishing the Ghana Gold Board to regulate the gold industry, enhance transparency and traceability, and boost foreign exchange earnings.
The Gold Board will oversee the purchase, sale, and export of gold, generating revenue to stabilize the cedi.
Despite criticism from the minority caucus, who argued that the bill promotes illegal mining activities, also known as ‘galamsey’, the house approved the bill by a majority decision.
The Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga hailed the bill as a landmark legislation.
“Mr. Speaker, this is a landmark legislation. And those of us who sat through the night to the morning to pass this historic legislation Bill should be proud of ourselves. We have vindicated the trust and confidence Ghanaians reposed in us.
“Indeed, the 24-hour economy has started in this chamber.”
This followed a walkout by the Minority in Parliament during the consideration of the Ghana Gold Board Bill 2025.
This was in response to the First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, disregarding their request to reconvene at 10 am on Saturday, March 29, to discuss the bill after passing the 2025 Appropriation Bill.
Addressing journalists, the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, questioned the government’s commitment to combating illegal mining, citing the allocation of 4.6 billion Ghana Cedis to the policy as a major concern.
“We’re all aware of the challenges we face as a nation, specifically on galamsey. Our friends who are in government made some promises. Today, they are now the Apostles who are promoting galamsey. They are using their numbers to now establish what has become known as Galamsey Board. The government, instead of investing in agric, women’s banking, 24-hour economy policy, it used for the 2204 elections. It’s rather giving GHC4.6 billion to galamsey operators.
Afenyo-Markin added, “If you say bring an enactment and say your focus is on small-scale mining, all of us in this country know that small-scale mining is galamsey. Is this government really ready to fight galamsey?
“How do you say you’re establishing a new entity that is going to monopolise the purchase of gold from small-scale miners, and now you are going to regulate galamsey and you’re going to give them money?”
—citinewsroom
