GoldBod's 150-strong taskforce: 170 tonnes of gold, US$17bn in exports
Ghana's gold sector is writing a new success story. The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has revealed that its dedicated anti-smuggling taskforce, now 150 strong, has transformed the country's gold trade, funneling 170 tonnes of gold through formal export channels and pulling in over US$17 billion in just 18 months.
Sammy Gyamfi, CEO of GoldBod, delivered the news during the Government Accountability Series on Wednesday. He painted a picture of a sector that is not just growing, but thriving, with Ghana now ranked as the sixth largest gold producer globally.
How did the GoldBod taskforce boost gold exports?
The numbers speak for themselves. Artisanal gold mining exports jumped from 63 metric tonnes in 2024 to 104 metric tonnes in 2025. That leap, Gyamfi explained, is the direct result of tighter anti-smuggling compliance.
“A lot of the successes we've chalked so far, in terms of the significant increase in ASM gold export, is as a result of the tightening of anti-smuggling compliance of the GoldBod,” he said.
The taskforce works hand-in-hand with security agencies, including the Narcotics Control Commission and the Ghana Immigration Service. They patrol gold markets daily and keep a sharp eye on entry and exit points, arresting suspected smugglers and seizing illegal gold.
What does this mean for Ghana's economy?
This isn't just about rankings. It's about real money flowing into the country. The repatriated forex is now underpinning market stability, a crucial win for the cedi and for everyday Ghanaians.
“That is why Ghana today is not just the lead producer of gold in Africa but number six in the world,” Gyamfi said. “We're not just doing well on the ranking, but that good ranking is translating into repatriated forex, which is now supporting market stability.”
The impact is visible across the board. Inflation has tumbled from 23.8 per cent to below five per cent. The cedi appreciated by 41 per cent in 2025. Foreign reserves have climbed, and the macroeconomic picture is looking brighter than it has in years.
Is the GoldBod taskforce here to stay?
Absolutely. Gyamfi was unequivocal: the taskforce is a permanent fixture. Its success won't just be measured in tonnes of gold, but in the long-term value created for the economy.
“The 2025 DGPP losses are not the product of mismanagement or misappropriations by the current leaders of the BoG,” he said, addressing concerns head-on. “They are the product of policy design and the price of the economic stabilisation we are enjoying today.”
He cited the International Monetary Fund, which attributes the reported US$1.7 billion in losses to the scaling up of the domestic gold purchase programme. That same expansion, he argued, delivered the cedi's appreciation and the sharp drop in inflation.
What's next for Ghana's gold sector?
GoldBod is already looking ahead. The trade model outlined in the Ghana Gold Board Act 2025 (ACT 1140), which kicked off in March 2026, is designed to trim the losses seen under the old system. The approach borrows from successful gold reserve management in South Africa and Tanzania, adapted to fit Ghana's unique context.
Gyamfi's message is clear: Ghana's gold now meets international standards, and the country is positioning itself to compete harder on the global stage and command better prices. For a nation with gold in its soil and ambition in its veins, that's a future worth betting on.