Acting Managing Director of the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC), Sammy Gyamfi, has strongly refuted claims that Parliament rushed the approval of the Ghana Gold Board Bill 2025.
His remarks came in response to a press conference by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who labeled the GoldBod as a “Galamsey Board.”
Sammy Gyamfi dismissed the allegations as “a misguided partisan political stunt,” emphasizing that the bill underwent extensive scrutiny and stakeholder consultations before its passage.
“The GoldBod Bill, despite being developed and passed within 68 days, was not rushed at all. On the contrary, it is a product of diligent work, extensive stakeholder consultations, and thorough parliamentary scrutiny”.
He highlighted the collaborative efforts between political parties, noting that several clauses proposed by NPP MPs, including Afenyo-Markin himself, were incorporated into the final bill.
Sammy Gyamfi also pointed out that the Finance Minister withdrew the initial version of the bill, made amendments based on feedback, and relaid the revised version for consideration.
“In a spirit of transparency and respect for divergence, the Finance Minister withdrew the first Bill he laid, effected all proposed amendments and relaid the amended version”.
“To our surprise, when the day for the second reading and consideration of the Bill came, we realized that our friends from the NPP had advertised over fifty (50) new amendments to the Bill. To ensure the smooth consideration of the Bill and avoid unnecessary time-wasting arguments on the floor, the 1st Deputy Speaker of Parliament who was presiding, suspended the house and referred the Bill to the Winnowing Committee for fine-tuning,” he added.
Sammy Gyamfi in a statement on his official Facebook page, further detailed the stakeholder engagement process, including consultations held in Bolgatanga to gather input from gold trading industry representatives in northern Ghana.
He commended the efforts of the Technical Committee and the Winnowing Committee for ensuring the bill’s smooth passage.
Parliament passed the Ghana Gold Board Bill on March 28, 2025, marking a significant milestone in Ghana’s efforts to reform its gold industry.
The GoldBod Bill aims to regulate Ghana’s gold industry, enhance transparency and traceability, and boost foreign exchange earnings. It also oversees the purchase, sale, and export of gold, generating revenue to stabilize the cedi.
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