The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has acquired a 0.6-acre parcel of land at the cargo village of the Kotoka International Airport to establish an ultra-modern ISO-certified assay laboratory and a state-owned gold refinery.
The initiative seeks to improve value addition in the mining sector by shifting Ghana’s assay regime from XRF and water density testing to the global fire assay standard for all gold produced or exported from the country. The international-standard refinery, once operational, will enhance local refining capacity and transition Ghana from exporting doré, a semi-pure alloy of gold and silver, to refined bullion.
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Mr. Sammy Gyamfi, Chief Executive Officer of the GoldBod, disclosed this at the Mining and Minerals Convention 2025, explaining that the board, in partnership with the Bank of Ghana, is collaborating with local refineries, including the Gold Coast Refiner, to refine gold purchased and exported by the GoldBod. He added that the board had commenced the local purchase of 20 per cent of gold output from seven large-scale mining companies.
Mr. Gyamfi commended the Ghana Chamber of Mines for expressing readiness to work with the GoldBod to ensure the refining of gold from large-scale producers within Ghana.
Speaking at the same event, Mr. Yusif Sulemana, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, noted that despite Ghana’s mineral wealth, infrastructure development in mining communities remained inadequate. He stressed the need to address challenges linked to limited value addition, weak local investment, and the use of unsustainable mining methods that damage the environment.
He further revealed that the government is reviewing the Minerals and Mining Act and policy through broad stakeholder consultations as part of efforts to align with international best practices. “The time has come for us to change the narrative. The future begins today, and it starts with us,” he said.
