Report gold smuggling, get 10% cash reward: John Mahama unveils whistleblower reward

President John Dramani Mahama has announced a cash reward initiative aimed at curbing illegal gold smuggling, pledging 10 per cent of the value of any recovered gold to individuals who report such activities.

“If you blow the whistle and gold or money is retrieved, you will get 10 per cent of its value,” the President said at the inauguration of the Ghana Gold Board Task Force in Accra on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. He called on citizens to help combat what he described as widespread smuggling and black market activity in the gold sector.

The newly formed task force, established under Act 1140, is a core component of the Ghana Gold Board’s strategy to regulate the gold trade and boost transparency in the industry. It includes selected officers from the military, national security, and other enforcement agencies, all of whom have undergone training in anti-corruption procedures and technical operations.

To enhance accountability, the officers will wear body cameras during operations, and all task force vehicles will be tracked via GPS in real-time. Operations will require a written warrant from the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board.

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President Mahama warned that any officer found engaging in misconduct would be immediately dismissed, prosecuted, and stripped of all benefits.

The move follows a recent audit that uncovered a 229-metric-tonne discrepancy between Ghana’s official gold export records and figures reported by trading partners abroad — an estimated $11.4 billion loss over five years.

“These losses cannot continue. We are taking control of our mineral wealth, and this task force is central to enforcing the law,” the President stated.

He added that the Ghana Gold Board would soon introduce a national traceability system to track the origin of all gold produced locally. The board also plans to support small-scale miners with geological data and environmental rehabilitation efforts.

The whistleblower reward system, Mahama noted, is intended to empower Ghanaians to play an active role in safeguarding the nation’s resources.

“This is not just a policy; it’s a national call to duty. Ghanaians must be the first to benefit from the gold beneath our soil,” he said.