The government is planning to establish gold processing centres for small-scale mining cooperatives to strengthen controls over the gold supply chain and ensure that minerals purchased by the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) originate from legitimate mining operations.
Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Dr Yusif Sulemana, said the initiative was being developed in collaboration with GoldBod and private investors, with implementation expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027.
The proposed facilities are expected to provide a more reliable system for processing gold from small-scale miners, making it easier for authorities to establish the source of gold entering the formal market.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on the sidelines of the Mining in Motion Summit in Accra, Dr Sulemana said the traceability of gold remained a major concern for GoldBod and other stakeholders in the mining sector.
He explained that the government was engaging private investors to establish the centres and had already received some proposals for the project.
“GoldBod has expressed interest in facilitating the process of establishing some of these processing centres,” he said.
According to him, the involvement of GoldBod is intended to ensure that gold purchased by the state-backed institution can be linked to identifiable and legitimate sources.
“Why? Because the issue of traceability comes up any time we talk about gold that is being purchased by GoldBod. So, they are also interested in ensuring that we put in place a platform that will ensure that whatever gold that they buy can be traced to the right source. And so, we are collaborating with them,” he explained.
Processing centres to strengthen mining oversight
The proposed centres form part of the government’s broader efforts to formalise small-scale mining through cooperative arrangements and improve accountability in the gold trade.
By establishing dedicated processing facilities, the government hopes to strengthen oversight of the movement of gold from mining sites to buyers, addressing concerns about the origins of minerals entering the supply chain.
The initiative is also expected to support small-scale mining cooperatives by providing access to improved processing methods and reducing reliance on practices that pose environmental and health risks.
Dr Sulemana said the centres would help reduce the use of mercury and cyanide in gold processing while improving recovery rates for small-scale miners.
These improvements could enable miners to recover more gold from the ore they process while reducing the environmental damage associated with harmful chemicals.
Private investors to support implementation
The Deputy Minister said the government was working with private investors to advance the initiative, with proposals already received as authorities prepare for implementation.
The first phase is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027.
GoldBod’s participation is expected to focus partly on strengthening traceability, ensuring that gold purchased through its operations can be connected to legitimate mining sources.
The success of the initiative will depend on the effective operation of the centres, the participation of small-scale mining cooperatives and the establishment of reliable systems for tracking gold from extraction through processing and sale.
The government is pursuing the initiative as part of wider efforts to formalise small-scale mining, improve environmental standards and strengthen transparency across Ghana’s gold supply chain.
