President John Dramani Mahama has explained that government’s Code of Conduct for public officials is being strengthened into law, stressing that while an earlier version served as a moral guide, the new framework before Parliament will be fully enforceable.

Speaking at a Presidential Dialogue with Civil Society Organisations, the President said the administration had already introduced internal ethical guidelines for ministers even before the legislative process commenced.

“The code of conduct is before Parliament. But even before Parliament received the bill, we had started our own code of conduct,” President Mahama said.

He noted that the initial version was formally launched at the Presidency shortly after ministerial appointments, with copies distributed to all ministers.

“We published it, and at the time that we appointed our ministers, we gave them copies. There was a ceremony in this very room where we launched the code of conduct and gave it to the ministers and asked them to study it,” he stated.

President Mahama, however, drew a clear distinction between the existing internal guidelines and the proposed legislation currently under consideration in Parliament.

“But now we’re going to legislate the code of conduct. That is the difference. The one that we gave to them was moral persuasion, but now it’s going to be law,” he explained.

He emphasized that once passed, the Code of Conduct would carry legal force and be binding on all public officials.

“And so everything there in the code of conduct, Parliament is going to debate it, and everything in the Code of Conduct will be enforceable,” he said.

President Mahama also expressed confidence in Parliament’s role in refining the bill, adding that the executive would act promptly once the legislative process is completed.

“We leave it to the best judgment of our representatives in Parliament to take the code through the processes, and when they have passed it and brought it as a law, I can assure you that I will assent to it as quickly as possible,” he assured.

President John Dramani Mahama has announced a major boost in funding and logistics for the fight against illegal mining, revealing that government has allocated GH¢100 million to the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) to intensify its activities this year.

Speaking during a Presidential Dialogue with Civil Society Organisations, the President said the initial allocation is expected to support ongoing operations, with the possibility of additional funding later in the year.

“This year, we are giving NAIMOS GH¢100 million to continue their activity, and I have assured them that they should start with that,” he said. “If during the year we think that they need more money at the mid-year review of the budget, we will allocate some more money to NAIMOS.”

President Mahama, however, acknowledged critical logistical gaps hampering the effectiveness of the anti-galamsey fight, particularly on water bodies.

“There are some things they don’t have. They lack equipment, especially for policing the water bodies. Sometimes you see them in canoes with outboard motors, and sometimes they even have local people paddling them to fight the menace on the rivers,” he noted.

To address the challenge, the President disclosed that government has approved the procurement of specialised patrol boats to enhance surveillance and enforcement along rivers heavily affected by illegal mining.

“The Minister of Finance, who is also acting as Minister of Defence, has approved a budget for them to bring in new patrol boats that are designed for patrolling rivers,” he said.

Highlighting the scale of the challenge, President Mahama referenced the vast stretches of rivers affected by galamsey, stressing the need for more efficient equipment.

“Take a river like the Pra, which is about 120 kilometres long—you can imagine what distance those fishermen’s canoes can cover in terms of patrolling,” he explained. “So they are bringing purpose-built boats that can travel far in riverine areas.”

He added that the boats will be deployed to both the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces to support NAIMOS operations on water bodies.

According to the President, the security agencies have been given firm instructions to take decisive action against illegal mining equipment wherever they are found.

“The directive is that any chamfan machine they find, whether on the river or on land, they should destroy it,” he stressed.

President Mahama further revealed that enforcement efforts are already underway, with daily operations targeting illegal mining activities across the country.

“I get the videos every day, and I can share them with you—every day they are burning and destroying chamfan machines,” he said.

The renewed investment and operational strategy form part of government’s broader efforts to clamp down on illegal mining, protect water bodies, and restore degraded lands.

President John Dramani Mahama has assured that government is prepared to implement measures aimed at protecting consumers should rising global oil prices continue to put pressure on domestic fuel costs.

Speaking during a Presidential Dialogue with Civil Society Organisations, the President noted that while Ghana has recently enjoyed relatively stable and even lower fuel prices, external shocks are beginning to pose a potential upside risk.

“Things were sailing quite smoothly, and indeed, we’re beginning to enjoy some of the lowest fuel prices in a long time,” he said. However, he explained that current pressures are largely driven by global crude oil movements rather than domestic currency instability.

“The cedi remains stable, but the push factor in the oil price build-up is coming from the price of crude oil and finished products,” President Mahama stated.

He attributed the global volatility to geopolitical tensions affecting oil markets, warning that continued instability could force government to take corrective steps.

“If this thing continues some more, then we’ll have to take some decisive decisions,” he cautioned.

According to him, government is already considering a range of interventions to cushion consumers against possible price increases. These include adjustments to fuel marketing margins as well as the strategic use of the recently introduced development levy.

“Some of the weapons we have is to look at the margins, to try and cushion consumers, and then also look at the recently imposed one cedi development levy to try and cushion consumers,” he explained.

President Mahama stressed that fuel prices play a central role in Ghana’s inflation dynamics, particularly through transport costs which affect food prices and the broader cost of living.

“Fuel moves the transport sector, and the transport sector is the main driver of inflation. If fuel goes up, the cost of transporting food items goes up, and it affects inflation in the food basket,” he said.

He assured that government remains vigilant and is working closely with economic experts to monitor developments and respond appropriately to protect households from the impact of global energy shocks.