The Ashanti Regional Secretary of the New Patriate Party (NPP), Lawyer Adom Appiah, has expressed strong reservations about the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) GoldBod, a body that would perform the same functions as the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC).
Speaking on Wontumi Tv/Radio, he described the logic behind this move as “scary and dangerous”.
According to him, the NDC’s plan to use GoldBod as a monopoly to buy gold is alarming and could lead to increased smuggling of gold into neighboring countries.
He noted that these countries also produce gold, making it easy for them to purchase and smuggle it.
Lawyer Appiah questioned the accountability of GoldBod, wondering how the state would track gold sales on the international market.
He cited a past incident where the NDC administration, under President John Mahama, allegedly couldn’t account for gold sold at $2 billion, with buyers claiming to have paid $7 billion.
Lawyer Adom Appiah warned that GoldBod might loot Ghana’s gold, urging caution in decision-making, he pleaded that God should consider the little minority when He’s to give the Nation a leader.
In a move towards reforming Ghana’s gold sector, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson said “The Ghana Gold Board will be mandated to regulate and streamline the sector. It will act as the sole buyer of gold from the legal small-scale mining sector through licensed aggregators and local traders. Upon its establishment, the GoldBod will also have exclusive legal rights as the sole assayer, seller, and exporter of gold purchased from small-scale miners.”
