President John Dramani Mahama has inaugurated the newly established Ghana Gold Board Taskforce as part of a bold effort to clamp down on gold smuggling and sanitize the country’s gold trade.
The launch, held on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, marks a major step in the implementation of reforms introduced under the recently passed Gold Board Act (Act 1140), which restructured gold trading in Ghana and revoked all previously issued licenses from the now-defunct Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
Addressing attendees at the launch ceremony, President Mahama underscored the strategic importance of the taskforce.
“It is a significant event, both the passage of the Gold Board Act and today’s inauguration of the Gold Board Task Force,” he said. “ Ghana has been blessed bountifully with much natural resources. And today’s inauguration of the Gold Board Task Force signals our readiness to act decisively.”
The President revealed that members of the taskforce—drawn from national security, the military, and other specialized agencies—have undergone a thorough recruitment and training process.
This includes vetting, polygraph tests, orientation on Act 1140, anti-corruption training, and intensive team-building exercises.
To ensure transparency and accountability, all operations by the taskforce will be strictly monitored. Officers will be required to wear body cameras during fieldwork, and all vehicles used will be equipped with GPS tracking, allowing for real-time monitoring.
Additionally, no operation can proceed without a written warrant signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Gold Board.
President Mahama issued a stern warning to members of the taskforce and illegal actors in the gold trade.
“Let me be clear,” he said. “Abuse of your authority will not be tolerated, and any officer found engaging in misconduct will face immediate sanctions. And these could include dismissal, prosecution, and forfeiture of your entitlements,” he warned
The creation of the taskforce is part of broader reforms aimed at enhancing regulation, transparency, and accountability within the small-scale mining sector—an area historically plagued by illegal trade and weak oversight.
As the country takes steps to tighten control over its precious mineral resources, the Gold Board Taskforce is expected to be a key enforcement arm in the drive toward a more accountable and lawful gold industry.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
