President John Dramani Mahama has inaugurated a special task force under the Ghana Gold Board to enforce gold trade regulations and combat illegal exports. This unit is equipped with body-worn cameras, GPS-tracked vehicles, and a reward system for whistleblowers who report misconduct. The inauguration took place in Accra on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, as part of the broader implementation of the Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140), which aims to formalize the gold trade and enhance accountability in the sector.
During the event, the President stated that the task force members had been carefully selected and trained. He noted that all members had undergone polygraph tests, anti-corruption briefings, and team exercises prior to their deployment. Additionally, he emphasised that every field operation must receive written authorisation from the Chief Executive Officer of the Gold Board and that these operations would be monitored in real-time.
“Every officer will wear a body camera. Every vehicle will be GPS-tracked. There will be no room for abuse,” President Mahama said. He also announced that individuals who provide credible information leading to the seizure of gold or cash would receive 10 per cent of the recovered value as a reward. The President warned that any member of the taskforce found to have misconducted themselves would face immediate dismissal, prosecution, and loss of benefits. “This is not business as usual. It is a matter of national duty and pride,” he stated.
The taskforce is expected to operate as a joint security unit involving personnel from the military, national security, and other law enforcement agencies. Its mandate includes enforcing laws that prohibit unlicensed gold trading and bar foreigners from purchasing gold in Ghana’s local market.
Under the new Act, persons found guilty of illegal gold trading face fines of up to GH¢2.4 million or imprisonment for between five and ten years, or both. President Mahama said the initiative is part of the government’s broader economic reset and an effort to plug longstanding revenue leakages in the gold sector.
He cited a recent report which revealed a 229-metric-tonne discrepancy between Ghana’s official gold export records and those of its trading partners. The shortfall, recorded over five years, was estimated at more than $11.4 billion in lost value. To address this, Mr Mahama said the Gold Board would roll out a national traceability system to link every gram of gold to a licensed and environmentally compliant source.
He added that plans were also underway to establish an ISO-certified assay laboratory by 2026 and to begin refining gold locally for export as bullion instead of raw doré bars.
By: Mohammed Ali
