Ghana and World Gold Council announce strategic partnership
The Ghana government and the World Gold Council (WGC) have announced the signing of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation on the formalisation of artisanal and small-scale gold mining in the country.
The MoU is also to enhance supply chain integrity, and combat illicit finance and gold flows.
According to a press release copied to Ghana Business News, the Ghana government and the WGC share a vision of establishing a national network of accessible and trusted processing plants, operating to the highest standards of responsible sourcing and providing artisanal miners with sufficient incentives to direct artisanal gold to the formal supply chain.
In support of this, the government and WGC intend to cooperate on policy and standards development, capacity building, support for traceability and origin verification technology solutions, as well as skills, training and educational support to artisanal mining communities, the release said.
It further stated that as a first step the WGC has committed to an initial development grant of $250,000 in support of efforts towards cooperative registration under one of Ghana’s flagship programmes, rCOMSDEP, adding that the MoU reflects the parties shared commitment to unlocking the positive social and economic potential of responsible ASGM for the people of Ghana, contributing to community wellbeing, environmental protection and the integrity of the gold market.
Commenting, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah said: “This partnership reflects Ghana’s clear commitment to transforming artisanal and small-scale gold mining into a responsible, well‑regulated and economically empowering sector. By working with the World Gold Council, we are strengthening our efforts to improve the formalisation of ASGM, eliminate harmful practices, and ensuring that the benefits of Ghana’s gold resources are realised by our communities and our nation as a whole.”
On his part, David Tait, Chief Executive Officer, World Gold Council, said:“Ghana is a global leader in gold production and has demonstrated real ambition in tackling the challenges and opportunities of artisanal and small-scale mining. This MoU provides a strong platform for collaboration, bringing together government leadership, international standards and industry expertise, to help build a trusted, transparent and responsible ASGM value chain that works for miners, communities and markets alike.”