Dr Dickson Adomako Kissi, the former Member of Parliament for Anyaa Sowutuom, has said the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) must bear the cost of the water treatment in the country.
The former MP’s remarks come following the Ghana Water Limited (GWL )’s proposed 281 per cent tariff increase.
Speaking on Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV, Tuesday, September 23, 2025, Adomako Kissi stated, “The Goldbod has made a huge amount of money, which they have flaunted; they have told everybody. Why must I pay for the water treatment as a Ghanaian? Why must I bear that burden?
I really think that the revenue from Gold that has been flaunted everywhere, a portion of that should be used to work on all the water facilities in this country. I really think that the true beneficiary of the damages to all of our water bodies is the gold and mining industry.”
“The idea that Ghana Water Company wishes to increase tariffs that I and you have nothing to do with in terms of damage to our water, I think it is very wrongfully placed. As it stands now, all the gold, whether legal or illegal, goes to Goldbod, and as a matter of fact, I think they should be made to pay for all the water damages in this country,” he added.
Meanwhile, Sammy Gyamfi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), has quizzed critics claiming the GoldBod is responsible for promoting illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
The Goldbod CEO quizzed how a five-month-old Goldbod could be responsible for an age-long galamsey problem?
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Sammy Gyamfi explained, “Let me clear some misconceptions that GoldBod is promoting galamsey. And my simple question to them is how can a five-month-old statutory corporation, GoldBod, be responsible for an age-long galamsey problem?”
“Galamsey has been with us for decades. Last year, there was no GoldBod, but we saw a lot of protests against galamsey because galamsey has reached unprecedented and alarming levels. So how can you say that a corporation that was established barely five months ago is the one to blame for galamsey?” he added.
Sammy Gyamfi, however, clarified that the Goldbod was established to promote environmentally friendly mining practices.
He added, “GoldBod was established to promote sustainability initiatives and environmentally friendly mining practices. If you look at section 31G and H of the GoldBod Act, we have that function. So GoldBod is rather supposed to come and support the fight”.
He further added that the Ministry of Lands and other agencies are responsible for the fight against galamsey.
“We don’t have that mandate; the mandate is that of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and their allied agencies. They have that statutory obligation to fight galamsey. But in stipulating our functions, Parliament said, GoldBod, since you will be in that space, you should support the fight,” he explained.
Mr Gyamfi added. “And in less than five months since our establishment, we’ve done what no institution in Ghana has done”.
“This national anti-illegal mining operation secretariat, which was formed to be a multisectorial central coordinating body for this galamsey fight, for us to optimise resources, they didn’t have money, they didn’t have vehicles.
“In less than five months, GoldBod has given them GH₵5m and five Toyota Hilux vehicles, and we plan to give them more vehicles. And since we gave them support, you’ve seen the renewed fight all over the place,” he said.
“So how can the same GoldBod, established to support the fight against illegal mining and actually supporting the fight against illegal mining by putting in resources, be accused of promoting galamsey?” he questioned.
Sammy Gyamfi further debunked claims that the Goldbod was encouraging illegal mining by buying galamsey gold.
He explained, “To create the impression that nobody was buying galamsey gold and all of a sudden GoldBod is now giving it a market is clearly wrong,” he said.
“There has always been a market for gold anywhere in the world, including Ghana. Have we ever woken up to any news that there is stranded gold in Ghana? There’s always demand,” he said.
The CEO also explained that licensed private individuals make the purchases of gold, not GoldBod.
“Gold Board itself is not on the market buying gold. These licensed buyers are not stationed at mining sites. They sit in their offices, mostly in district and regional capitals, and buy gold brought to them. They have no technology or system to tell whether the gold was mined responsibly or not,” he noted.