A small-scale miner has publicly raised concerns over the pricing structure of gold under the government’s GOLDBOD initiative, led by Sammy Gyamfi, arguing that the current rates are too low to sustain operations amidst rising production costs.

In a post shared by Sika Official on X (formerly Twitter) on August 6, 2025, the miner expressed frustration over what he describes as a widening gap between government-regulated gold prices and the escalating cost of mining inputs, particularly fuel.

“Let my plea reach Sammy Gyamfi,” the miner stated. “When it comes to GOLDBOD, your role is to buy gold — not cassava. This is not just about gold from Newmont or Obuasi. It’s about buying from us, the small-scale miners.”

He emphasized that the small-scale mining community had high hopes for the GOLDBOD initiative, believing it would provide a reliable market and fair pricing for their gold. However, he now feels sidelined and questioned whether the current direction of the initiative is being influenced by external factors, including President Mahama.

“When you were appointed, we believed this initiative would benefit all of us. But Sammy, where are you taking the gold issue? Is this your personal decision, or is Mahama behind it?” he asked. “Regardless of how the gold is sold, the cost of acquiring it has gone up.”

The miner stressed the challenges miners face, particularly with rising diesel prices, and urged the government to revise the pricing model to better reflect operational realities.

“Do you expect us to bring gold to the table and walk away with nothing? Gold mining isn’t easy. If you can’t raise the price of gold, at least lower the cost of diesel first,” he said.

He concluded by calling for an urgent policy review to ensure that small-scale miners — key contributors to Ghana’s gold output — are not left behind in the government's economic initiatives.