President John Dramani Mahama has inaugurated a high-powered national task force—backed by the military, police, and customs agents—to combat rampant gold smuggling in Ghana. The move follows the creation of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) in January 2025, designed to centralise gold trading while stamping out the illicit underworld of “galamsey”.
The initiative has recorded early wins: official gold exports reached 55.7 tonnes (US $5 billion) in the first five months of 2025—up significantly from previous years . Now, as the task force begins operations, public tip-offs are incentivised with rewards amounting to 10% of the value of seized gold .
Among its key strategies, the task force will deploy body-worn cameras on officers to ensure transparency and discipline in enforcement actions—a lesson learned from past scandals . Plans extend to a national traceability system for gold and transitioning toward refined exports by 2026. A certified ISO assay lab and a downstream processing hub are also in the roadmap to help Ghana capture more value from its gold assets .
Experts welcome the initiative, although caution that success hinges not only on regulation but sustained enforcement. Analysts note Ghana’s strategy differs from other West African nations—favoring measured policy reforms over aggressive nationalisation.
With global gold prices hovering 25% above last year’s levels and peaking near US $3,500/oz, this move sends a strong signal: Ghana is determined to reclaim lost revenue and protect its environment from illegal mining.