Ghana will continue to pursue policies aimed at adding value to its mineral resources rather than exporting raw materials, Ghana’s Ambassador to China, Kojo Bonsu, has said.

He said the government was committed to working with investors who were prepared to align with its policy direction on local beneficiation and the development of processing capacity in the mining sector.

“The government’s policy is now firmly oriented towards local beneficiation, such as refining bauxite to alumina integration or the development of detailed processing capacity,” he said.

Ambassador Bonsu was addressing the investor community at this year’s China Mining Conference in Tianjin, China, on Friday, September 11, 2026.

Ghana seeks greater value from mineral resources

He said Ghana had made a deliberate decision to move away from the export of raw minerals and instead develop the capacity to process them locally.

“Ghana has made a clear and deliberate choice that we will no longer be content to export raw ore and import back finished products at higher prices. It is not good,” he said.

He said the government was therefore working to establish the necessary frameworks, infrastructure and incentives to support greater value addition and create jobs and skills locally.

“We are building frameworks, infrastructure, and the incentives to give more value, more skills and more jobs,” he said.

According to Ambassador Bonsu, the government’s approach seeks to position mining as a more integral part of Ghana’s broader economic development rather than treating it solely as an extractive activity.

He described China as an important partner for Ghana in infrastructure, trade and the development of the mining and minerals value chain.

“China has been and remains Ghana’s significant partner on infrastructure, trade, and increasingly in the mining and minerals value chain,” he said.

Ghana seeks investment partnerships with China

Ambassador Bonsu said Ghana was engaging Chinese investors to explore opportunities in the country’s mining sector while ensuring that partnerships were mutually beneficial.

“We are therefore here to present opportunities. Listen, negotiate, and build partnerships that are genuinely mutual and grounded in fair terms,” he told the investors.

He called for greater technology transfer, local content development and shared prosperity as Ghana and China deepen economic cooperation.

He also stressed the need for a transparent and improving regulatory environment, a skilled and youthful workforce, and a policy framework that positions mining as a catalyst for national development.

Government outlines mining sector reforms

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, who was Guest Speaker at the Ghana Forum, also highlighted some of the challenges confronting Ghana’s mining sector.

He cited gaps in geological information as one of the challenges affecting efforts to identify and develop the country’s mineral resources.

The Minister also pointed to regulatory reforms and the establishment of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) as part of efforts to tackle illegal mining.

He said the government was also pursuing cooperative mining and medium-scale mining as part of measures to support the development of the sector and promote value addition to Ghana’s mineral resources.