The Government of Ghana has secured an initial US$250,000 development grant from the World Gold Council to support responsible artisanal and small-scale mining as part of a broader US$1 million partnership aimed at strengthening the formal gold sector and tackling illegal gold trade.

The funding forms part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the World Gold Council to improve supply chain integrity, promote environmentally sustainable mining practices and enhance transparency within Ghana's gold industry.

Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, described the partnership as a significant milestone in government's efforts to ensure that Ghanaian gold is produced responsibly and traded through legal channels.

"Our goal is that any time you hear gold from Ghana, you must be very sure that it is coming from very legal sources," he said.

The Minister explained that the initiative would improve gold recovery rates among artisanal and small-scale miners while reducing the environmental destruction associated with illegal mining.

He noted that many miners currently recover less than 20 per cent of the value of their ore but could increase recovery rates to more than 80 per cent through access to modern processing facilities.

He added that the programme would support the establishment of a nationwide network of accredited gold processing plants, enabling small-scale miners to process their ore more efficiently and sell their gold through formal and traceable markets.

President of the World Gold Council, David Tait, said Ghana's initiative has the potential to become a model for other gold-producing countries seeking to formalise their artisanal and small-scale mining sectors.

He explained that the programme would combine verification technology, modern processing facilities and official gold-buying systems to improve transparency, reduce environmental degradation and strengthen the formal gold trade.

Mr Tait urged all stakeholders to support the initiative, stressing that illegal mining is a national challenge that should not be politicised.

The partnership is expected to accelerate the formalisation of Ghana's small-scale mining sector by providing miners with access to modern technologies, improving operational efficiency and promoting responsible, transparent and sustainable gold production.