Ghana has officially commenced local refining of gold from the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) sector, following the start of operations at the Gold Coast Refinery in partnership with the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod).
The milestone was marked by a tour of the refinery by the Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, and the Chief Executive Officer of GoldBod, Sammy Gyamfi.
Speaking in an interview, Dr. Forson explained that the Gold Coast Refinery, operating under a technical partnership with Rand Refinery, is equipped to refine ASM gold to internationally accepted standards.
He noted that while the facility has the capacity to process up to 2 tonnes of gold per week, existing agreements currently allow for the refinement of 1 tonne weekly.
According to the Finance Minister, the refinery has so far created 162 jobs and operates on a 24-hour basis. He added that refined gold bars produced at the facility will carry certification stamps from GoldBod, the Gold Coast Refinery, the Bank of Ghana, and the Ghana Standards Authority.
Dr. Forson further urged the refinery to work towards securing London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) certification and encouraged GoldBod to establish a national assay laboratory to further strengthen quality assurance and credibility within Ghana’s gold sector.
The initiative aligns with a long-standing vision articulated by John Dramani Mahama and is being advanced by the current government through GoldBod’s partnership with the Gold Coast Refinery to ensure that gold from the ASM sector is refined locally before export.
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