The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has set a record as the first entity to donate to the Ghana Medical Fund, also known as the MahamaCares Fund, to help support and promote healthcare in the country.

The government, in April this year, unveiled the Mahama Cares Ghana Medical Trust Fund, a program dedicated to providing financial aid to individuals battling chronic conditions such as kidney failure, cancer, and heart disease. The fund is designed to alleviate the financial burden faced by patients in need of life-saving medical care.

The news of the donation was shared on GoldBod's official Facebook page yesterday, Tuesday, September 23

During a presentation of the donation, Mr Richard Nunekpeku, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the GoldBod, reaffirmed GoldBod’s confidence in the vision of His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama and the leadership of the Fund.

“We are convinced of the foresight behind MahamaCares and the capacity of its administrators to deliver on its mission and to use the resources effectively in furtherance of this noble vision, the reason why we are making this donation”, he said.

Mr Nunekpeku further called on other state and corporate institutions to join forces in supporting this laudable initiative aimed at addressing the specific challenges of chronic disease care in Ghana.

Receiving the donation, Obuobia Darko Opoku, Administrator of the MahamaCares Fund, underscored the urgent healthcare gaps revealed by a recent needs assessment. The study identified severe shortages of essential medical equipment across major facilities in Accra. She assured that the Fund is committed to addressing these deficits, adding: “Our focus is to equip health institutions with the tools needed to provide quality care for patients battling non-communicable diseases.”

Meanwhile, the launch of the Medical Trust Fund took place at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) in Accra on Tuesday, April 29, and brought together key stakeholders from the healthcare sector and the corporate world. President John Dramani Mahama, who officially introduced the fund, called on the private sector to support Mahama Cares as part of their corporate social responsibility.

“I want to encourage corporate Ghana, businesses, the mines, the banks, and all the other companies, that this Ghana Medical Trust Fund is coming to your clients who save their money in your banks or do business with you. Some of them are even your own staff.“So, as part of your Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), if you give anything, consider that you are giving to your own staff or customers. So, I would like to encourage all corporations in Ghana, both private and public, to, at the end of the year, donate some portion of their annual CSR to the Ghana Medical Fund because it is going to do a lot of good to the country,” he stated.

The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, expressed his support for the initiative, describing it as long overdue. He emphasised that the fund would ensure equitable access to healthcare, particularly for individuals facing financial barriers to treatment.

“The draft bill for the Mahama Care is ready and will be submitted immediately Parliament resumes,” he confirmed.Akandoh also announced a significant policy change to strengthen the programme, revealing that the government has removed the capping of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). This, he explained, will unlock substantial resources for the fund.“Most importantly, the uncapping of the national health insurance firm has been removed. This move has unlocked substantial resources to ensure that a dedicated allocation of funds will now support the Mahama Care Programme,” he added.

Following the uncapping of NHIS, Parliament on July 23 passed the Ghana Medical Trust Fund Bill under a certificate of urgency, giving legal backing to the Mahama Cares Initiative and enabling the establishment of a dedicated fund to support patients battling life-threatening conditions.

Meanwhile, GoldBod has been quite instrumental in dealing with leakages in Ghana's gold trading by regulating the affairs of licensed traders.

The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) is the sole authority with exclusive right to buy, sell, weigh, grade, assay, value, and export gold and other precious minerals in Ghana. The Ghana Gold Board functions under the oversight and supervision of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Ghana.

Gold Board (GoldBod) Ghana has announced the suspension of the licence of a Tier 2 licensed gold buying company in Tarkwa over breach of several gold laws.

In a statement dated Wednesday, September 16, the governing body overseeing all gold trading and export activities in Ghana informed the public that the company’s license has been suspended and all its shops closed.

“The Ghana Gold Board (“GoldBod”) wishes to inform the general public that it has suspended the license and closed all trading shops of NK Benak Enterprise, a licensed gold buyer (Tier 2), with immediate effect,” the statement stated.

The suspension comes on the heels of the company’s breach of several gold trading laws, leading to the arrest of its CEO, who is currently facing prosecution.

“This action has been taken on grounds of NK Benak Enterprise’s complicity in several gold-related offences, which have led to the arrest of the sole proprietor, Bernard Nkrumah, and his prosecution before the High Court,” GoldBod added.

Consequently, Bernak has lost the right to trade with all other licensed gold trading companies. GoldBod emphasised in the statement, highlighting the commitment to ensuring the appropriate enforcement of all gold trading laws to ensure transparency.

“Notice is hereby given to all licensed traders, miners, and the general public to desist from trading and/or engaging in any form of gold transaction with NK Benak Enterprise forthwith. GoldBod remains committed to enforcing the laws and regulations that govern the gold trading sector in the spirit of accountability and transparency,” it added.

This is not the first gold trading company that has been suspended by GoldBod over breach of trading laws. In late August, GoldBod announced it had suspended the license of Evanex Gold Enterprise, a licensed gold buyer (Tier 2), with immediate effect. They took this action following an adverse investigative finding of illegal gold pricing made against the company, contrary to the terms and conditions of the license of the company.

The GoldBod has thereby cautioned licensed traders, miners, and the general public against trading or engaging in any form of gold transaction with Evanex Gold Enterprise forthwith.

"GoldBod remains committed to enforcing the laws and regulations that govern the gold trading sector in the spirit of accountability and transparency," a statement issued by GoldBod read.

Miners operating under a valid mining license have been offered a special temporary bonus scheme from the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) in efforts to support the industry as well as combat gold smuggling. The licensed miners will enjoy an additional GH¢832 per pound of gold sold through the Ghana Gold Board.

“This novelty is in response to legitimate complaints from licensed miners about the significant reduction in the local price of gold in the last few months due to the continuous appreciation of the Ghana cedi.

“The special bonus will ensure that licensed miners who have contributed immensely to the country’s increased gold output and foreign exchange earnings do not indirectly suffer as a result of the significant appreciation of the Ghana cedi that they have helped the country achieve,” it added. This information was contained in a statement issued by the GoldBod on Wednesday, August 27.

On July 7, a task force was inaugurated with a special mandate with specific powers as police officers to wage war against smuggling and all forms of illegal gold trading activities in the country.

According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Goldbod, Sammy Gyamfi, this will save the government from any leakages in revenue mobilisation in the sector, helping to generate and invest revenue for economic development.

“(This will) help the state combat and defeat the phenomenon of gold smuggling, the canker of illegal gold trading, and price disruptions that deprive the state of the needed revenue, profit, and the needed forex for our economy and the development of our country.

He thus cautioned traders to secure the appropriate licence to engage in any form of gold trading in the country, saying, “But for those who are hell bent on trading illegally without the licenses, we are serving notice that we are coming after you,” he announced.