President John Dramani Mahama at the inauguration of the GoldBod Task Force on Tuesday
President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, inaugurated the GoldBod Task Force.
The task force is mandated to dismantle smuggling networks in Ghana and also secure the country’s gold value chain, ensuring that the precious mineral directly benefits the state and its citizens.
The task force’s operations are part of a broader strategy for the establishment of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), which is to tighten oversight over Ghana’s mining and export systems in line with the government’s commitment to maximising domestic revenue through resource protection.
Even though it might be a coincidence, the inauguration of the task force by President Mahama comes after GhanaWeb’s “The Gold Market That Fuels Galamsey” documentary, which revealed a thriving black market operating outside official oversight.
Following the broadcast of the exposé, which highlighted the proliferation of unlicensed gold shops in Wassa Akropong in the Western Region, the government has cracked down on illegal gold traders in the area.
The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), which oversees Ghana’s gold trade in a coordinated operation with National Security, recently arrested 10 foreign nationals suspected of participating in illegal gold trading in Asankragua in the Western Region, also directly following GhanaWeb’s exclusive documentary.
Speaking at the inauguration, President Mahama bemoaned the discrepancy between Ghana’s official gold export records and those of its trading partners.
He said that studies show that there was a 229-metric-tonne shortfall recorded over five years in Ghana’s gold exports, which is estimated at more than $11.4 billion.
The president said that the task force, which forms an integral part of the mandate of the GoldBod, will help prevent the smuggling of gold in the country.
He said that the members of the task force, who had been carefully selected and trained, were taken through polygraph tests, anti-corruption briefings, and team exercises before deployment, to ensure they performed their mandate efficiently.
He also stated that every field operation of the task force must be authorised in writing by the Chief Executive Officer of the GoldBod, Sammy Gyamfi, and must be monitored in real time.
“Every officer will wear a body camera. Every vehicle will be GPS-tracked. There will be no room for abuse,” President Mahama added.The Gold Market that Fuels Galamsey: Mahama inaugurates GoldBod Task Force
President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, inaugurated the GoldBod Task Force.
The task force is mandated to dismantle smuggling networks in Ghana and also secure the country’s gold value chain, ensuring that the precious mineral directly benefits the state and its citizens.
The task force’s operations are part of a broader strategy for the establishment of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), which is to tighten oversight over Ghana’s mining and export systems in line with the government’s commitment to maximising domestic revenue through resource protection.
Even though it might be a coincidence, the inauguration of the task force by President Mahama comes after GhanaWeb’s “The Gold Market That Fuels Galamsey” documentary, which revealed a thriving black market operating outside official oversight.
Following the broadcast of the exposé, which highlighted the proliferation of unlicensed gold shops in Wassa Akropong in the Western Region, the government has cracked down on illegal gold traders in the area.
The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), which oversees Ghana’s gold trade in a coordinated operation with National Security, recently arrested 10 foreign nationals suspected of participating in illegal gold trading in Asankragua in the Western Region, also directly following GhanaWeb’s exclusive documentary.
Speaking at the inauguration, President Mahama bemoaned the discrepancy between Ghana’s official gold export records and those of its trading partners.
He said that studies show that there was a 229-metric-tonne shortfall recorded over five years in Ghana’s gold exports, which is estimated at more than $11.4 billion.
The president said that the task force, which forms an integral part of the mandate of the GoldBod, will help prevent the smuggling of gold in the country.
He said that the members of the task force, who had been carefully selected and trained, were taken through polygraph tests, anti-corruption briefings, and team exercises before deployment, to ensure they performed their mandate efficiently.
He also stated that every field operation of the task force must be authorised in writing by the Chief Executive Officer of the GoldBod, Sammy Gyamfi, and must be monitored in real time.
“Every officer will wear a body camera. Every vehicle will be GPS-tracked. There will be no room for abuse,” President Mahama added.
GhanaWeb Special: The gold market that fuels galamsey
