World Gold Council Grants Ghana Resources for Small-Scale Mining Programme
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has announced that the Government of Ghana has secured an initial US$250,000 development grant from the World Gold Council, forming part of a broader US$1 million grant.
The funding forms part of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Ghana and the World Gold Council through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to improve supply chain integrity and promote environmentally sustainable mining practices.
The package will support responsible artisanal and small-scale gold mining and strengthen efforts to curb illegal gold trade.
The Minister 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.
He 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 Chief Executive Officer 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 initiative 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 initiative, describing illegal mining as a national challenge that should not be politicised.
Adwoa Koramah Anokye-Gyimah, ISD
