The acting Managing Director of the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC), Sammy Gyamfi, has announced that the GoldBod Bill, once enacted, will empower appointed inspectors with special authority to combat illegal gold smuggling.
Speaking in an interview on an Accra based TV station he noted that Ghana has faced challenges in enforcing gold smuggling laws due to the absence of a dedicated agency responsible for addressing the issue.
According to him, Ghana is not enforcing the law on gold smuggling, and don’t even know the agency that is dedicated to the fight against gold smuggling.
“We’ve left it to the normal security agencies. But now you’re going to see in this bill, special powers given to the GoldBod, such as the right to appoint GoldBod inspectors,” he said.
He explained that under the bill, GoldBod inspectors will be granted the same authority as police officers, allowing them to conduct searches, request documentation, confiscate illegally traded gold, and prosecute offenders.
“If they have cause to believe that you are engaged in illegal gold trading or smuggling, they can seize your gold, they can impound, they can confiscate, they can go to court for such warrants by themselves,” he added.
Sammy Gyamfi added that the initiative will create a task force that will collaborate with national security, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Ministry of Defence to enhance enforcement efforts.
“This is going to be special… Let the bill be passed and let the President assent to it. You can’t totally eliminate them, but for the first time, you will see gold smugglers being arrested, their gold seized, and them being taken to court to be prosecuted and convicted,” he emphasized.
This comes after Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson revealed that at the height of Ghana’s economic crisis in 2022, a staggering 60 tonnes of gold, valued at an estimated $1.2 billion, were smuggled out of the country through illegal channels.
“Imagine the impact if that wealth had stayed in our economy!” he remarked in a Facebook post on Tuesday, March 25.
Dr. Forson disclosed that he engaged with officials from the UK-Ghana Gold Programme yesterday, an initiative aimed at breaking the link between illegal artisanal mining and serious organized crime.
He noted that discussions were centered on measures to strengthen Ghana’s gold sector, eliminate smuggling, and boost revenue.
