The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the Ghana Gold Board’s (GoldBod) gold sourcing and verification systems, arguing that weaknesses in traceability could allow illegally mined gold to enter the formal market.
The opposition party claims that gaps in GoldBod’s purchasing arrangements may be undermining efforts to combat illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, by creating opportunities for gold from unlicensed operations to be sold through formal channels.
Speaking at a media engagement on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, NPP National Organiser Henry Nana Boakye questioned how GoldBod establishes the origin of gold purchased through its network of licensed buyers.
He argued that unless there is an effective system to trace gold from its point of production to the buyer, it would be difficult to determine whether the gold entering the formal market was produced legally.
“GoldBod, I can tell you now, is the cause of the environmental destruction we are seeing. They are now responsible for galamsey,” he alleged.
Mr Boakye said the issue of gold traceability had become an important concern within the mining sector, claiming that similar questions had been raised by the Ghana Chamber of Mines and some Members of Parliament.
He challenged GoldBod and the government to explain how the institution verifies the source of the gold it purchases.
“If GoldBod is not buying galamsey gold, then who is?” he asked.
NPP demands greater transparency
The NPP National Organiser also criticised what he described as repeated assurances that measures were being developed to strengthen gold traceability.
According to him, the explanations so far have not adequately addressed concerns about the origin of gold purchased through the formal system.
He therefore called for greater transparency in GoldBod’s operations, particularly the procedures used to authenticate gold supplied by licensed buyers.
Mr Boakye maintained that a credible traceability mechanism is necessary to ensure that illegally mined gold does not benefit from the formal trading system.
The NPP’s concerns come amid ongoing national efforts to tackle illegal mining and protect Ghana’s forests and water bodies, with questions over the sourcing and verification of gold remaining central to the debate.
