Yaw Boamah-Nyarko, the Member of Parliament for Effia has questioned the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, over comments that galamsey operators could proceed with their activities whether they had licences or not.
The MP described the reported remarks as unacceptable, arguing that they could encourage illegal mining and undermine the country’s efforts to regulate the extraction of mineral resources.
He said he had heard a recording in which the GoldBod CEO that miners could operate without licences provided they were not mining in water bodies, forest reserves or along roadsides.
He challenged the justification for such a position, insisting that Ghana’s mining laws require operators to obtain the necessary licences before engaging in mining activities.
“What I heard him say was that whether you have a licence or no licence, go ahead and mine. And this is giving legitimacy to illegal mining,” he stated.
The MP, who said he was involved in examining the GoldBod legislation, recalled that concerns had been raised during the passage of the law about the need for an effective gold traceability system.
He said he and other lawmakers had cautioned that without mechanisms to establish the origins of gold purchased by the Board, proceeds from illegal mining could find their way into the formal gold trading system.
“We created a caution to the government that if we don’t insert traceability to make sure that we stop the sale of gold from illegal mining, the fight against galamsey will not be won. We will lose that fight,” he said.
According to him, assurances were given that issues surrounding traceability would be addressed after the law was passed.
However, he expressed concern over indications that a significant proportion of gold purchased by GoldBod could originate from illegal mining.
He claimed that about 40 per cent or more of the gold handled by the Board was linked to illegal activities, although he did not provide supporting figures during the interview.
The MP argued that the economic benefits associated with gold trading should not justify activities that destroy the country’s environment and threaten its future.
“The fact that people get money from illegal mining doesn’t mean that we should allow it to flourish at the detriment of the sustainability and the future of this country,” he said.
He also called on Sammy Gyamfi to clarify the alleged comments and apologise to Ghanaians, describing them as inappropriate for someone occupying a senior public office.
“Such comments are not worthy of people in high office. And so you should check that and apologise to the good people of Ghana,” he added.
