Former Tourism Minister Andrew Egyapa Mercer has criticised President John Mahama’s proposal for the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) to purchase gold from illegal miners, popularly known as galamseyers.
Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show on Thursday, September 11, the former Sekondi MP said Mahama’s suggestion was worrying and counterproductive to Ghana’s fight against illegal mining.
President Mahama had earlier argued that all gold mined within Ghana should be bought by the GoldBod, including that from galamsey operators, since the gold ultimately belongs to the state. He maintained that such a move would help boost reserves and strengthen economic resilience.
But Mercer disagreed, warning that the idea would effectively legitimise a destructive illegal trade. “If the President himself says government should buy gold from illegal miners, what signal are we sending? That it is acceptable to destroy our water bodies and farmlands so long as the state can buy the gold? This undermines everything we have done to fight galamsey,” he said.
He added that the GoldBod must focus solely on sourcing gold from licensed small-scale and large-scale operators. “What we ought to do is strengthen the capacity of legal miners and ensure compliance with regulations. Supporting galamsey through state purchases is not the solution. It will embolden lawlessness and weaken environmental protection,” Mercer stressed.
