President John Dramani Mahama has announced a cash reward scheme for individuals who report illegal gold smuggling activities, promising 10 per cent of the value of any recovered gold in cash.

He made the announcement on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at the official inauguration of the Ghana Gold Board Task Force in Accra.

“If you blow the whistle and gold or money is retrieved, you will get 10 per cent of its value,” the President said, calling on Ghanaians to help tackle what he described as widespread smuggling and black market activity in the gold sector.

The task force, set up under Act 1140, is part of the mandate of the Ghana Gold Board to regulate the gold trade and improve transparency across the industry.

It comprises selected officers from the military, national security, and other enforcement agencies. All members have undergone specialised training in anti-corruption procedures and technical operations.

To improve transparency, officers will operate with body-worn cameras during all field assignments, while task force vehicles will be fitted with GPS tracking systems monitored in real time. No operation is permitted without a written warrant issued by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board.

Mr Mahama cautioned that any officer found engaging in misconduct or corrupt practices would be dismissed immediately, prosecuted, and stripped of all entitlements.

The new measures come in response to mounting concerns about underreporting and smuggling in the gold sector.

A recent audit uncovered a 229-metric-tonne discrepancy between Ghana’s official export records and figures reported by trading partners abroad. This translates to an estimated loss of $11.4 billion over a five-year period.

“These losses cannot continue. We are taking control of our mineral wealth, and this task force is central to enforcing the law,” Mr Mahama said.

He noted that the Ghana Gold Board would soon roll out a traceability system to track the origin of all gold produced in the country.

The board will also provide small-scale miners with geological data to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact, while supporting the rehabilitation of degraded mining sites.

According to Mr Mahama, the whistleblower initiative is intended to encourage citizen involvement in protecting the country’s mineral resources.

“This is not just a policy; it’s a national call to duty. Ghanaians must be the first to benefit from the gold beneath our soil,” he said.