President Mahama Launches GoldBod Taskforce, Offers 10% Reward to Whistleblowers
Accra, Ghana - 8 July, 2025 - Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has launched a new taskforce aimed at curbing illegal gold smuggling, announcing a bold initiative that offers a 10% reward to whistleblowers who provide information leading to the recovery of illicit gold or its cash equivalent.
The move, unveiled on 8 July 2025 at the National Security Secretariat in Accra, underscores Mahama’s determination to tackle corruption and safeguard the country’s mineral wealth, a critical driver of its economy.
The GoldBod Taskforce, inaugurated during a high-profile ceremony, is a specialized unit tasked with dismantling smuggling networks that cost Ghana an estimated $2 billion annually in lost revenue.
Mahama, addressing an audience that included security officials and dignitaries, emphasized the taskforce’s role in protecting the nation’s gold reserves, which are vital for stabilizing the Ghanaian cedi and boosting foreign exchange earnings. “Whistleblower channels are in place, and informants are eligible to receive 10% of the seized gold or the cash value. So, whistleblowers, get ready. If you blow the whistle and gold or money is recovered, you will get 10%,” he said, urging citizens to play an active role in the fight against smuggling.
The taskforce, comprising personnel from the National Security, military, and other key agencies, has been equipped with extensive powers akin to those of the Ghana Police Service, including the authority to arrest, detain, and prosecute offenders.
Mahama stressed that its members underwent rigorous training, including vetting, polygraph testing, and instruction on the Minerals and Mining Act, as well as anti-corruption protocols.
To ensure transparency and prevent abuse, all operations will be subject to stringent oversight. Officers will wear body cameras, taskforce vehicles will be GPS-tracked in real-time, and no field activity can proceed without a written directive from the CEO of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi.
“A written warrant from the CEO is required before any field operation is undertaken,” Mahama cautioned.
The establishment of the creation of GoldBod, a state agency tasked with regulating the artisanal and small-scale mining sector, reflects Mahama’s broader agenda to reform Ghana’s gold industry, which is Africa’s largest and the sixth-largest globally.
Since its inception earlier in 2025, GoldBod has centralized the buying, selling, and exporting of artisanal gold, replacing the defunct Precious Minerals Marketing Company. Between January and April 2025, the agency facilitated gold exports worth $2.7 billion, a figure Mahama cited as evidence of its early success in sanitizing the sector.
The government has also introduced a digital track-and-trace system to ensure ethical sourcing and is pursuing London Bullion Market Association certification to enhance Ghana’s credibility in global markets.Gold smuggling, often linked to illegal mining known locally as “galamsey,” has long plagued Ghana, exacerbating environmental degradation and depriving the state of critical revenue.
