Managing Editor of The Herald Newspaper, Larry Dogbey, has expressed concern over what he described as a rushed implementation of the newly introduced Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) initiative, urging the government to broaden stakeholder engagement and allow more time for public understanding.
Speaking on ChannelOne TV’s Breakfast Daily on Tuesday, April 15, Dogbey criticised the approach taken by the government, suggesting that the rollout of the GoldBod framework lacked sufficient consultation with key industry players and the public.
“I think a lot of things are being rushed, and the GoldBod is one of them. I do not think the engagement process has been enough. I think the government could have engaged more stakeholders in the passage and formulation of the act. This is what is at stake, and this is what we want to correct. If the message is not well communicated to the people, they still find it difficult to understand the structure of the whole thing.”
His remarks come in the wake of the government’s directive to revoke all existing gold trading licences issued by the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) and the Minister for Mines, excluding those held by large-scale mining companies.
The directive, based on the newly passed Ghana Gold Board Act (Act 1140), requires all artisanal and small-scale gold traders to register afresh with the GoldBod before May 1, 2025.
Dogbey asserted that the timeline set for compliance is unreasonably short and could cause confusion among those affected.
“I heard again that you have until the 30th of April, all the licences given out will not be operative. I thought that this was too short a time for any meaningful engagement process to happen. Unless the people under the PMMC licences are not much, but if you do the number of people involved, I think a three-month process could just be enough for people to now meet your demand.
“But when you cut it short like that, it’s a mad rush. Although you meant well, people do not get the clarity as far as this whole thing is concerned. I think that the engagement must be broadened,” he stated.
