The Compliance Directorate of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has issued a strict directive compelling all Self-Financing Aggregators (SFAs) and their approved Offtakers to refine all gold doré locally prior to export, effective 1st September 2026.
The directive, anchored in the Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140), seeks to enforce local value addition and streamline gold trade regulations across the country.
According to a official notice issued by the Board on 24th August 2026, the new policy supplements existing transactional guidelines introduced earlier in July.
“Effective 1st September 2026, every Self-Financing Aggregator shall ensure that all gold doré purchased under any arrangement with an approved Offtaker is refined in Ghana before export,” the notice stated.
The regulator emphasised that unrefined gold doré will no longer be permitted to leave the country under any commercial arrangement.
“No gold doré shall be exported in its unrefined state,” the directive added, warning that export approvals will be withheld unless local refining requirements are fully met.
Under the new regulatory framework, all refining operations must take place strictly at facilities approved or designated by GoldBod. The Board further reserved the right to assign specific refineries to aggregators and issue further operational directives.
Aggregators and Offtakers have been given until 31st August 2026 to revise all existing commercial contracts to reflect the mandatory local refining clause. GoldBod indicated that proof of amended contracts may be requested at any time.
Refining costs are to be settled between aggregators and their off-takers prior to export clearance. Export permits will only be issued after the Board confirms local processing, settlement of refining fees, and compliance with assay and regulatory standards.
GoldBod warned that non-compliance constitutes a direct violation of operating licences, exposing defaulting aggregators to severe sanctions, including licence revocation and legal prosecution under Act 1140.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
