Ghana’s mining regulator has begun enforcing a long-delayed policy requiring all licensed gold buyers to issue official receipts for every transaction, in a sweeping effort to tighten oversight of the country’s multibillion-dollar small-scale gold trade.
The Ghana Gold Board, known as GoldBod, said Monday it has launched nationwide inspections to ensure compliance with the mandatory receipt system. The directive applies to all licensed aggregators—including self-financed entities—and both Tier 1 and Tier 2 buyers.
The move follows repeated delays and a grace period designed to give traders time to regularize their operations and secure the necessary licenses to remain active in the market. Officials say the measure is intended to boost transparency and regulatory control in an industry that has long operated in the shadows.
“To maintain integrity in the gold supply chain, every transaction involving licensed buyers must now be backed by an official GoldBod receipt,” the regulator said in a statement.
The Board has deployed a task force and field inspectors across the country to monitor adherence. Buyers are required to present their receipt booklets for spot inspections and are expected to cooperate fully with field officers.
GoldBod also urged small-scale miners and gold sellers to demand official receipts during transactions, cautioning that failure to comply would be treated as a serious offense. Sanctions for non-compliance include suspension or outright revocation of trading licenses.
Licensed buyers in need of receipt booklets have been advised to contact GoldBod’s Licensing and Regulatory Unit via dedicated hotlines.
Ghana is Africa’s second-largest gold producer, and its artisanal and small-scale mining sector accounts for a significant portion of total output. However, the sector has also been a major source of unregulated exports and illicit financial flows—issues the new enforcement effort aims to curb.
