Accra: The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has announced a new directive requiring all gold dor© purchased by Self-Financing Aggregators (SFAs) under arrangements with approved offtakers to be refined locally before export. This initiative aims to enhance value addition within the country's gold industry.
According to Ghana Web, the directive was issued by GoldBod's Compliance Directorate on August 24, 2026, and will take effect from September 1, 2026. It is part of the implementation of the Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140). Under this policy, no gold dor© will be permitted to leave the country in its unrefined state. Export requests will only be considered once local refining is completed at an approved refinery, with all charges and regulatory requirements met.
The directive is expected to strengthen Ghana's efforts to capture greater value from its gold resources by expanding domestic refining activities and creating more opportunities within the local mining value chain. The notice specifies that every SFA must ensure gold purchased under commercial arrangements with an approved offtaker is refined in Ghana prior to export. Existing offtake agreements must be amended by August 31, 2026, to include the local refining requirement. No export application for gold dor© will be approved unless the gold has been refined within the country.
The regulator stated that all refining must occur at facilities approved or designated by GoldBod in line with regulatory standards. GoldBod reserves the right to determine the refinery for any gold and to issue additional directives governing the refining process. Industry observers suggest this provision could enhance oversight and traceability across Ghana's gold export chain while ensuring compliance with international standards.
GoldBod clarified that refining costs would be borne by either the Self-Financing Aggregator or the approved offtaker, depending on their commercial arrangements. Charges must be settled before the refined gold is exported. Beginning September 1, GoldBod will process export requests only after confirming that the gold has been refined in Ghana, refining charges are fully paid, all assay, regulatory, and export requirements are met, and all other export conditions are fulfilled.
The directive should be read alongside guidelines on the onboarding of offtakers and the conduct of transactions with offtakers issued on July 13, 2026. GoldBod warned that non-compliance would breach licence conditions for Self-Financing Aggregators, leading to possible sanctions such as refusal or suspension of export approvals, suspension or revocation of licences, administrative penalties, and other enforcement actions permitted under Act 1140 and related regulations.