The Government of Ghana has secured an initial US$250,000 development grant from the World Gold Council as part of a broader US$1 million to support responsible artisanal and small-scale gold mining and strengthen efforts to curb illegal gold trade.
The funding forms part of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Ghana and the World Gold Board through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to improve supply chain integrity and promote environmentally sustainable mining practices.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Honourable Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, described the partnership as a major step towards ensuring that Ghanaian gold is produced responsibly and traded through legal channels.
“Our goal is that any time you hear gold from Ghana, you must be very sure that it is coming from very legal sources”, he said.
The Minister stated that the initiative would significantly improve gold recovery for artisanal miners while reducing environmental degradation caused by illegal mining.
He noted that many miners currently recover less than 20 per cent of the value of their ore but would be able to recover more than 80 per cent through modern processing facilities.
The agreement will also support the establishment of a national network of trusted gold processing plants to enable small-scale miners process their ore more efficiently and channel their gold through formal markets.
President of the World Gold Council, Mr. David Tait, said Ghana’s initiative would serve as a model for other gold-producing countries facing challenges with artisanal and small-scale mining.
He explained that the programme would rely on verification technology, modern processing plants and official gold-buying systems to improve transparency, reduce environmental destruction and strengthen the formal gold trade.
Mr. Tait urged all stakeholders to support the programme, describing illegal mining as a national challenge that should not be politicised.
The initiative is expected to support the formalisation of the small-scale mining sector and provide miners with access to modern technologies that enhance efficiency and transparency.