GoldBod makes XRF testing mandatory for gold purchases from September

The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has announced a new rule requiring all licensed gold buyers to utilize X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) technology starting September 1, 2026, when determining the purity of gold purchases. This directive, issued on August 17, 2026, replaces the traditional water density method for assessing gold purity. XRF assay will be the standard procedure for evaluating gold doré bought by GoldBod and its licensed buyers.

The Board strongly encourages licensed buyers to invest in suitable XRF equipment and ensure their staff are trained to use it effectively. In cases where an XRF machine is unavailable due to operational or logistical issues, the water density method may be used as an indicative measure, but at a discounted price of at least 0.5% lower than the purity determined by the water density method.

This gold doré must then undergo final assessment using XRF. GoldBod mandates licensed aggregators to obtain and deploy XRF machines to their Tier 2 and Tier 1 buyers to ensure consistent purity testing at purchase points. Licensed buyers must maintain a purity difference of plus or minus 0.05% when comparing successive XRF reports for the same gold or transaction; any larger discrepancy must be verified and reconciled before the transaction is finalized or reported to GoldBod.

Non-compliance with this directive by September 1, 2026, will be considered a breach of licence terms, potentially leading to regulatory enforcement actions under the Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140).