The Forum for Responsible Resource Governance (FRRG) has dismissed suggestions that provisions within the Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025, provide sufficient legal grounds for the Ghana Gold Board to undertake a nationwide land reclamation programme.
The organisation specifically addressed Section 3(1)(g) of Act 1140, which requires GoldBod to promote and support environmentally sustainable and responsible mining practices.
According to the Forum, the provision cannot be interpreted as granting authority for the institution to lead and finance a major environmental restoration project.
In its analysis, the FRRG argued that legislation must be interpreted in its entirety and in line with Parliament’s original intention.
It maintained that if lawmakers intended to empower GoldBod to undertake reclamation and rehabilitation projects directly, such authority would have been expressly included among the agency’s statutory functions.
The statement also rejected the notion that Section 25 of the Act could justify the expenditure.
“Section 25 is clear on the statutory purpose and procedure of the expenditure intended under that provision. Clearly, land reclamation does not fall within the purview of section 25,” the Forum asserted.
The group concluded that adherence to statutory limits is essential for maintaining lawful governance and accountability.
“Anything short of that makes it an illegality such as the present land reclamation project,” the statement said, reiterating its call for the government and GoldBod to suspend and review the initiative before committing public funds to its implementation.