In a landmark move, Ghana’s Parliament has passed the Ghana Gold Board Bill 2025, aimed at regulating the gold industry and boosting foreign exchange earnings. The new Gold Board will oversee gold transactions, generating revenue to stabilize the cedi.
The bill’s passage was met with fierce opposition from the minority caucus, who argue it promotes illegal mining activities, or ‘galamsey’.
Despite this, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga hailed it as groundbreaking legislation, stating, “This is a landmark legislation… We have vindicated the trust and confidence Ghanaians reposed in us.”
However, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin questioned the government’s commitment to combating illegal mining, criticizing the allocation of 4.6 billion Ghana Cedis to the policy.
Afenyo-Markin argued that the bill could be used to promote galamsey, saying, “Our friends in government made some promises, but today they are promoting galamsey… They are using their numbers to establish what has become known as the Galamsey Board”.
The passage of the bill has sparked intense debate, with many questioning the government’s commitment to combating illegal mining.
