George Mireku Duker, Ghana's Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in charge of mining, has announced intentions to establish a new refinery for the Artisanal Small-Scale Mining (ASM) industry.
The establishment of the refinery will be assisted by the London Bullion Marketing Association (LBMA).
This was revealed following a meeting on Thursday, April 27, 2023, between the deputy minister and officials of the London Bullion Marketing Association (LBMA), led by CEO Ruth Cromwell, on the sidelines of the OECD Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chain taking place in Paris, France.
"I am delighted to announce that the London Bullion Market Association is prepared to help Ghana establish a new refinery for the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) sector. In addition, LBMA has reaffirmed its support for Ghana to have a clear plan for obtaining a certified refinery," the Minister wrote following the meeting.
According to George Mireku Duker, the purpose of the meeting was to reaffirm the parties' commitment to establishing LBMA-certified refineries in Ghana.
"The purpose of the meeting was to reaffirm Ghana's commitment to working with the LBMA beginning in 2021 to certify local gold refineries so they can compete internationally. The topic of today's meeting was Global Responsible Sourcing of Precious Minerals and Ghana's Response to the Challenge. Ansong Askew Ltd, a UK-Ghanaian responsible mining organization, also participated in this essential meeting.
At the 2023 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains in Paris, France, George Mireku Duker is representing the Sector Minister, the Honorable Samuel A. Jinapor.
During a panel discussion titled "Exploring Domestic Drivers For Responsible Mineral Supply Chains; the role of traditional authorities, CSOs and the private sector", Mr. Duker explained that traditional authorities, CSOs and the private sector can assist governments in promoting responsible Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) by supporting State-sponsored buying schemes of domestic gold and creating alternative livelihoods for illegal miners in Resource-rich nations.
He wrote, "I stated Ghana government's efforts in the areas of community mining schemes, domestic gold buying program, distribution of mercury-free gold processing equipment, reduction of export tax on ASM gold from 3% to 1.5%, and deepening engagements with traditional and local government authorities to support government's efforts in developing the full potential of ASGM in Ghana."
Fanny Fremont, Executive Director of the Responsible Micah Initiative, moderated a panel discussion with Dexter Ian Valerio of the Central Bank of the Philippines, Helene Helbig de Balzac of Datastake, and Desire Nikiema, Africa Coordinator of the Alliance for Responsible Mining.