GoldBod profiles artisanal miners to trace sources of Ghana’s gold – Sammy Gyamfi

The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) is undertaking a nationwide initiative to profile artisanal and small-scale gold miners. This effort aims to establish comprehensive data on gold production and improve traceability within the sector. CEO Sammy Gyamfi explained that the exercise began approximately two months ago and will help determine the gold's origin for purchases made across Ghana, as well as the proportion supplied by artisanal miners compared to licensed small-scale operators.

The data collected will support efforts to formalize the sector and enhance monitoring of gold production. Ghana currently lacks detailed and up-to-date information about artisanal mining, with existing records primarily consisting of small-scale mining licenses issued by the Minerals Commission. The situation is further complicated by expired licenses and pending renewals, making it challenging to ascertain the sector's current size and distribution.

GoldBod's licensing and gold-purchasing systems provide valuable information on traders and the sources of gold entering the formal market, enabling them to track the geographical distribution of gold production. Preliminary indications suggest that the artisanal mining sector might be larger than the licensed small-scale mining sector, although the exact size remains to be determined.

The Board plans to share the findings once the exercise is completed, which could assist policymakers in shaping future interventions to formalize the sector.