The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has dismissed claims that it purchases gold from illegal miners, locally referred to as galamseyers.
In an FAQ issued on Monday, January 5, 2026, the board clarified that it does not buy gold directly from miners.
“The GoldBod, as a public corporation, does not buy gold directly from miners. Rather, the GoldBod buys gold from its licensed aggregators,” the statement said.
GoldBod highlighted that its mandate under Section 3(1)(f) of Act 1140 is to promote the formalisation of small-scale mining through responsible sourcing, supply chain sustainability, traceability of gold, and adherence to international best practices.
Additionally, Section 3(1)(g) directs the board to support environmentally sustainable and responsible mining practices.
The board emphasised that all gold-buying licenses issued by GoldBod expressly forbid licensed buyers from sourcing gold from illegal miners. These license terms and conditions are publicly available on GoldBod’s website.
To ensure compliance, GoldBod, which is just eight months old, is developing a blockchain-based track-and-trace system to verify the responsible origin of every gram of gold purchased from its licensed buyers.
The board also cited government efforts to combat illegal mining through the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS).
So far, NAIMOS has evicted illegal miners from nine forest reserves, revoked the controversial L.I. 2462 permitting mining in forest reserves, restricted excavator imports, and conducted arrests and prosecutions of illegal miners.
“The fact is Gold has been mined and bought in Ghana for decades without traceability. This is the first time a government institution, the GoldBod, has been established to pursue value-chain traceability with clear timelines,” the board said.
GoldBod dismissed criticism from political opponents, asserting that attacks on its operations are intended to undermine the board’s achievements in formalising the gold sector.
The board concluded by reaffirming its commitment to the fight against illegal mining and confirmed that the blockchain track-and-trace system will be implemented in 2026, following a competitive tender process.
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