Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has criticised the structure of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), arguing that it fails to clearly distinguish between legally mined gold and gold sourced from illegal mining activities.
Speaking during an engagement with the Christian Council, he warned that the current system could inadvertently encourage galamsey.
“GoldBod does not have a regulation that draws a distinction between regularly mined gold and galamsey gold. So it is like whatever the aggregators bring, we will buy,” he said.
Mr Afenyo-Markin expressed concern over the growing environmental impact of illegal mining, cautioning that key ecological resources were under threat.
“If we are not careful, Atewa Forest will not be there for us again,” he warned.
He also highlighted the effect of galamsey on water bodies, noting that contamination is increasing the cost of water treatment and affecting the operations of treatment plants.
“The extent of contamination of our water bodies is such that some treatment plants cannot even function,” he said.
The Minority Leader called for stricter regulation of gold aggregation and trading to ensure efforts to formalise the sector do not undermine the fight against illegal mining.
Source :peacefmonline.com
