The Ghana Gold Board has initiated procurement processes to establish an ISO-certified Assay Laboratory as part of efforts to strengthen quality control and curb fraud in the country’s gold supply chain.
Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi announced the move at the 2025 Dubai Precious Metals Conference held at the Atlantis Palm Jumeirah Hotel on Monday, November 24. He stressed the urgent need to modernise the assaying system, particularly within the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector.
Gyamfi observed that, despite global advances in technology, many ASM traders continue to rely on outdated methods such as water density testing to determine gold purity—techniques he described as highly susceptible to manipulation and a major driver of fraud in the industry.
“We must work together to transition ASM assaying methods to X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Fire Assay techniques to safeguard the integrity of the ASM supply chain,” he said.
He emphasised that adopting these internationally recognised methods is essential to improving transparency and ensuring that Ghana’s gold consistently meets global standards.
Gyamfi noted that the planned ISO-certified laboratory will be a significant milestone in this transformation, adding that it will be complemented by nationwide capacity-building initiatives for artisanal miners and licensed gold traders.
