Asantehene Backs Government’s Mineral Sector Reforms, GoldBod

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has thrown his support behind the government’s policies for the mining sector, including the establishment of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), saying the measures are helping the country gain greater control over its mineral resources and retain more economic value from gold production.

Speaking on the Asantehene’s behalf at the Mining in Motion Conference in Accra, the Essumejahene, Nana Okyere Kusi Ntrama, said the government’s Reset agenda was aimed at strengthening state control over Ghana’s natural resources.

He acknowledged the controversies surrounding GoldBod but maintained that these did not take away from the overall direction of the government’s reforms.

“Over the past year, the contours of the new agenda have become clear. Whatever we make of the minerals in the ground, the mineral policies of the government, and regardless of the controversies surrounding the GoldBod, there can only be no doubt that the nature of the President’s Reset agenda is intact,” he said.

Nana Okyere Kusi Ntrama said the reforms showed political courage, drawing a link between the government’s approach and the efforts of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, to bring the country’s mineral resources under state control.

He cited Nkrumah’s attempt to establish a gold refinery in Tarkwa as an example of an earlier effort to ensure that Ghana benefited more from its natural resources.

“It reflects the political courage of the kind of which only true heroes are gifted. It takes us right back to the very foundation of our republic, when Dr Kwame Nkrumah sought to bring our minerals under the control of the state and moved to establish a gold refinery in Tarkwa,” he said.

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, also outlined the government’s plans to overhaul the mining sector, explaining that the reforms were designed to provide clearer guidelines for investors, strengthen protections for mining communities and promote sustainable national development.

He disclosed that Cabinet had approved a revised Minerals and Mining Policy and endorsed proposed amendments to the Minerals and Mining Act for consideration by Parliament.

“Our reforms are intended to give investors clearer rules, communities more dependable protections, and a Republic stronger foundation for long-term development,” he said.

According to Mr Buah, the proposed changes address licensing, local participation and community development, which he identified as key areas for improving the management of the country’s mineral resources.

He also highlighted measures to increase the economic benefits Ghana retains from its mineral production, particularly gold mined by small-scale operators.

“The Ghana Gold Board has brought a more organised approach to the purchase and export of small-scale gold,” he said.

The minister further stressed the need to expand gold refining, improve testing facilities and strengthen traceability systems to support greater transparency and efficiency across the gold value chain.

“In addition to these efforts, expanding refining, improving assay capacity, and strengthening traceability are important steps towards a more credible and productive gold value chain,” he said.

The conference discussions focused on the government’s efforts to improve oversight of the mining industry, increase the value Ghana gains from its mineral resources and ensure that the sector contributes more meaningfully to national development.