President John Dramani Mahama will today, July 8, officially launch the GoldBod Security Taskforce at the National Security Secretariat in Accra.
The taskforce, set up by the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), is expected to clamp down on illegal gold trading and smuggling across the country.
Announcing the development, GoldBod Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi said the unit will play a critical role in sanitising Ghana’s gold sector and protecting state revenue.
“On July 8, His Excellency, President John Dramani Mahama, on whose vision the Gold Board has been established, will outdoor the Security Taskforce at the National Security Secretariat,” Mr Gyamfi told journalists in Accra on Monday, June 30.
He explained that the taskforce will have the same powers as the Ghana Police Service, including authority to arrest, detain, and prosecute individuals involved in illegal gold trade.
“It has been given a special and specific mandate to help the state combat and defeat the canker of gold smuggling, illegal trading, and price disruptions that deprive the state of the needed revenue,” he added.
Mr Gyamfi said the taskforce will also work closely with an intelligence unit already deployed nationwide to monitor and gather information on the operations of gold smugglers and illegal traders.
He stressed GoldBod’s resolve to decisively deal with illegal gold activities, noting the statutory body will continue to pursue offenders vigorously.
