By Jibril Abdul Mumuni/Rebecca Som
Accra,March 25, GNA – The Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM) has organised a stakeholder outreach to support the establishment of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) in Accra.
The outreach programme forms part of the association’s effort to enhance the necessary policy framework in the value chain and trading of gold, and to help the nation realise the full potential of the small-scale mining sub-sector.
The event was attended by key figures within the small-scale mining industry and regulators such as the Minerals Commission and the Financial Intelligence Centre.
Mr Godwin Nickleson Amarh, GNASSM General Secretary, highlighted the critical role of the Gold Board in ensuring fair pricing, reducing illegal mining, and increasing revenue retention within Ghana’s economy.
“Under the proposed structure, pricing margins will be capped at 3 per cent to protect miners from excessive discounts,” he said.
He explained that the board will also implement a traceability system to track gold from production to export, aligning with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines to prevent child labour and money laundering.
He noted that players in the small-scale mining sub-sector must ensure that the proposed draft bill for the establishment of the GoldBod did not repeat the mistakes of previous legislations in the extractive sector.
“We cannot allow a repeat of past mistakes where middlemen exploited miners. The Gold Board will ensure Ghanaians benefit directly from their resources,” he said.
The outreach programme featured key activities, including a presentation by Dr Steve Manteuw, Co-Chairperson for the Ghana Extractive Transparency Initiative (GHEITI), and a presentation on the gender aspect of the small-scale mining sector.
Dr Manteuw, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of the outreach, said the draft bill must adhere to international best practices and conventions to avoid sanctions.
The Co-Chair of GHEITI said the GoldBod must ensure greater value retention for the country to fully harness the potential of gold for national development.
He noted that Ghana must urgently adopt the successful public-private partnership model employed by nations like Botswana in their extractive sectors to ensure the nation reaps the full benefits of gold.
He also urged players within the small-scale sector to prioritise inclusivity policies to ensure the participation of persons with disabilities in the sector.
GNA
SOF