Lands and Mines Watch Ghana (LMWG) has defended the licensing of Bawa Rock Limited as an aggregator under the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) scheme, describing recent claims by the Minority Caucus in Parliament as misleading, politically motivated, and lacking industry context.

In a press statement signed by the Executive Director of LMWG, Kwame Owusu Danso Esq., noted that while parliamentary oversight remains vital to democratic accountability, the Minority’s approach to the issue has generated “more heat than light” and risks undermining confidence in ongoing reforms within Ghana’s gold trading and mining sector.

LMWG stressed that Bawa Rock Limited is not a newly created entity positioned to exploit policy changes, but a long-established indigenous company with operational experience in Ghana’s extractive industry.

According to the group, the company has made deliberate investments in infrastructure, systems, and professional management aligned with international best practices in precious metals trading.

Addressing claims that Bawa Rock’s licence creates a monopoly, LMWG dismissed the allegation as a deliberate distortion of the GoldBod framework. The group explained that the GoldBod system provides for multiple licensed categories, including aggregators, self-financing aggregators, and tiered buyers, all operating under uniform pricing structures set by the state.

“Under the GoldBod framework, it is only the state agency itself that functions as a monopoly,” the statement noted, adding that no licensed private operator controls pricing or market access.

LMWG further highlighted Bawa Rock’s investment in modern assaying and foundry infrastructure, noting that such capital-intensive investments improve accuracy in gold valuation, protect small-scale miners from underpricing, and enhance Ghana’s credibility on international gold markets.

The group emphasised that Bawa Rock’s licence was issued in accordance with the GoldBod Act, 2025 (Act 1140) and aligns with national objectives such as improved traceability, reduced smuggling, and strengthening of the formal gold purchasing system.

Criticising the Minority’s continued public questioning of ownership structures and licensing criteria, LMWG described the approach as political theatre masquerading as oversight, warning that such rhetoric could discourage serious indigenous investment in the sector.

“Politicians must be allowed to do politics, but industry must be allowed to work,” the statement said, urging restraint and responsible engagement to safeguard reforms aimed at long-term value creation.

LMWG concluded that attacking indigenous companies without evidence weakens national reform efforts rather than strengthening accountability, and called on the Minority in Parliament to elevate public discourse and support initiatives that enhance transparency and sustainability in Ghana’s gold trading industry.