Ghana’s president inaugurates a special task force to tackle illegal gold mining
Accra, Ghana (AP) – The president of Ghana launched a special working group on Tuesday to combat illegal gold exploitation and smuggling that has long tormented the West African nation.
The chronic challenge of illegal gold extraction – known locally as “Galamsey” – was a major problem during the Ghana presidential election campaign last year and a source of concern for voters, triggering protests and criticisms against the outgoing government.
The president of Ghana, John Mahama, inaugurated the Goldbod working group, claiming that his creation “signals our desire to act decisively”.
The working group – made up of officers from various security and army agencies – is empowered to arrest and have suspects. It follows the creation of Ghana Gold Board Agency in January as the only legal entity managing all mined gold transactions and exports in the country by small mining companies.
Mahama said that, with the agency, the working group will endeavor to limit the proliferation of illegal minors and to “dismantle the black market economy surrounding gold”.
He presented what he described as the rebound of the CEDI, the currency of Ghana, which experienced a bad record against the dollar, following the establishment of Ghana Gold Board.
The illegal gold exploitation industry has resulted in significant economic losses and an environmental deterioration for Ghana, the largest gold producing country in Africa. He prospered following a massive collapse of Ghana’s economic fortune when millions of young people find it difficult to find a job.
Huge protests broke out across the country against illegal gold extraction after many rivers were polluted, becoming a hot political problem in the elections. Mahama, who won the elections, promised in his campaign to study the practice.
“Let this serve as a warning to all those involved in the smuggling of gold and illegal trade: the law will be applied without fear or favor,” he said on Tuesday.
Mahama underlined how the members of the working group would carry bodily cameras, which allows the responsibility and monitoring of their actions in real time. However, many analysts claim that attempts to slow down illegal gold extraction have not produced tangible results.
“The working group can help,” said Festus Aboagye, an Accra -based security analyst at the Associated Press. But “the challenge, as usual, is not a regulation but the application”.
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Adetayo reported to Lagos, Nigeria.
