The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Mr Sammy Gyamfi, has reaffirmed that the Board’s mandate is strictly to promote sustainability initiatives and environmentally friendly mining practices, not to combat illegal mining (galamsey).
Speaking in Accra on the government’s commitment to ending galamsey, Mr Gyamfi dismissed suggestions that GoldBod was encouraging illegal mining, stressing that its functions are clearly outlined under sections 31G and H of the GoldBod Act.
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“It is unfair to blame GoldBod for challenges in the mining sector. Illegal mining has existed for decades and reached alarming levels long before the establishment of the Board,” he stated.
Mr Gyamfi emphasised that the responsibility to combat galamsey rests with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and its agencies, not the Gold Board.
He revealed that in its first five months of operation, GoldBod had contributed five Toyota Hilux vehicles and ₵5 million to the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat, with further logistical support in the pipeline.
He said the intervention was meant to complement the government’s broader efforts to curb illegal mining and safeguard the environment.
