Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama on July 8 unveiled a new whistleblower reward scheme that offers citizens 10% of the value of recovered gold in cash if they report smuggling activities, as the country battles an estimated $11.4bn in lost revenue over five years due to illegal exports.

Ghana’s gold sector, long plagued by illegal mining and illicit export networks, has been under heightened scrutiny as the government seeks to curb capital flight and meet revenue targets under its economic recovery programme with the IMF.

According to Daily Graphic, the initiative was announced at the launch of the Ghana Gold Board Task Force in Accra, part of a sweeping effort to clamp down on illicit trade in the country’s biggest export commodity.

“If you blow the whistle and gold or money is retrieved, you will get 10 per cent of its value,” Mahama said. “This is not just a policy; it’s a national call to duty. Ghanaians must be the first to benefit from the gold beneath our soil.”

The move follows a recent audit that uncovered a staggering 229-metric-tonne gap between Ghana’s official gold export data and what international trading partners recorded - pointing to widespread underreporting and smuggling. Ghana, one of Africa’s top gold producers, is under pressure to plug financial leakages and improve transparency in its minerals sector.

“These losses cannot continue,” Mahama said. “We are taking control of our mineral wealth, and this task force is central to enforcing the law.”

The Ghana Gold Board Task Force, operating under Act 1140, is mandated to regulate gold trading and enforce compliance. It comprises officers from the military, national security, and other enforcement agencies who have received specialised anti-corruption and technical training.

In a bid to boost transparency, all officers will wear body cameras on assignment, and task force vehicles will be fitted with GPS systems monitored in real time. Operations are prohibited without written authorisation from the Gold Board’s chief executive.

Mahama warned that any task force officer found engaging in misconduct or corruption would face dismissal, prosecution, and the loss of all benefits.

“No one is above the law. We cannot have enforcers become enablers,” he added.

The Ghana Gold Board is also preparing to implement a traceability system to verify the origin of all gold produced in the country - an effort aimed at cleaning up the supply chain. The board will assist small-scale miners by providing geological data and support for the rehabilitation of degraded mining sites.

The whistleblower reward scheme is a rare example in Africa of financial incentives being used to crowdsource anti-corruption efforts in the natural resources sector. Experts say it could set a precedent if effectively implemented and monitored.

“Citizens hold the key to protecting our mineral wealth,” Mahama said. “This task force will do its job, but the people must act as the first line of defence.”