Ghana Secures US$250,000 Grant from World Gold Council

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 package to support responsible artisanal and small-scale gold mining while strengthening efforts to curb the illegal gold trade. The funding forms part of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the World Gold Council to improve supply chain integrity and promote environmentally sustainable mining practices.

Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah described the partnership as a significant 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. According to the Minister, the initiative will enhance gold recovery for artisanal miners while reducing the environmental damage associated with illegal mining. He explained that although many small-scale miners currently recover less than 20 per cent of the value of their ore, the introduction of modern processing facilities could increase recovery rates to more than 80 per cent.

The agreement also provides for the establishment of a national network of trusted gold processing plants to enable miners to process their ore more efficiently and sell through formal markets. President of the World Gold Council, David Tait, said Ghana’s initiative could become a model for other gold-producing countries grappling with challenges in the artisanal and small-scale mining sector. He noted that the programme would utilise verification technology, modern processing plants and official gold-buying systems to improve transparency, minimise environmental destruction and strengthen the formal gold trade. He also urged stakeholders to support the initiative, stressing that illegal mining is a national challenge that should not be politicised.

Ghana’s National Network of Trusted Gold Processing Plants

Ghana will establish a national network of trusted gold processing plants to enable miners to process their ore more efficiently and sell through formal markets. This move is expected to improve transparency, minimise environmental destruction, and strengthen the formal gold trade. The network will be established in collaboration with the World Gold Council.