GoldBod Makes XRF Testing Mandatory for Gold Purchases From September 1

The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has introduced a new mandatory requirement for determining the purity of gold purchased in Ghana, directing all licensed gold buyers and aggregators to adopt X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) assay as the standard method from September 1, 2026.

The directive is contained in a Compliance Notice dated August 17, 2026, issued by the Compliance Directorate of GoldBod as part of the Board’s regulatory mandate over Ghana’s gold trade.

Under the new arrangement, XRF assay will become the standard basis for determining the purity of all gold doré purchased by GoldBod and its licensed buyers. The move effectively means the water density method will no longer be accepted as the definitive basis for determining gold purity.

GoldBod has strongly advised all licensed gold buyers to acquire suitable XRF devices for testing and determining the purity of gold doré at the point of purchase.

The Board further requires buyers to ensure that personnel operating the equipment are properly trained and that appropriate records of all XRF measurements are maintained for every purchase.

The requirement is consistent with GoldBod’s existing licensing framework, which provides for appropriate assay and weighing equipment, including XRF analysers certified for precious-metal analysis. Licensed operators are also expected to maintain their equipment properly and keep calibration records.

GoldBod has, however, made provision for situations where a licensed buyer genuinely cannot acquire or use an XRF device because of operational or logistical constraints.

In such circumstances, the water density method may still be used, but the purity obtained through that method will be treated as indicative only, rather than as the final determination.

GoldBod recommends that where the water density method is used, the gold doré should be purchased at a minimum purity discount of 0.5 per cent from the purity determined through the water density test.

The gold will subsequently be assessed by GoldBod using XRF, and the Board’s XRF result will constitute the basis for the final determination of purity and payment for the transaction.

GoldBod has therefore urged licensed buyers to make acquiring XRF equipment a priority to minimise discrepancies associated with indicative purity measurements.

The directive extends beyond individual licensed buyers to licensed aggregators.

GoldBod has directed all licensed aggregators to acquire appropriate XRF machines and deploy them to their respective Tier 2 and Tier 1 buyers, including sub-aggregators.

The objective is to facilitate accurate and consistent determination of gold purity as close as possible to the source of purchase.

The Board has previously indicated that transforming assaying practices within the artisanal and small-scale mining supply chain is important for improving quality control and reducing potential fraud associated with traditional testing methods.

The Compliance Notice also introduces a specific tolerance level for comparing successive XRF reports for the same gold or transaction.

GoldBod has directed licensed buyers to apply an appropriate purity deviation or splitting limit when comparing XRF results.

The permissible difference between one XRF report and another must remain within plus or minus 0.05 per cent (±0.05%).

Where the purity difference exceeds that limit, the transaction must undergo further verification and reconciliation before it is concluded or reported to GoldBod.

GoldBod says the new requirements will become part of the terms and conditions attached to licences issued to licensed aggregators and gold buyers.

All aggregators and licensed buyers are therefore required to ensure strict compliance with the notice from September 1, 2026.

Failure to comply will constitute a breach of the applicable licence terms and conditions and may attract regulatory and enforcement measures under the Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140).

GoldBod has consequently directed all licensed buyers to take the necessary steps to achieve full operational readiness before the September 1 deadline.

The Compliance Notice was issued by the Compliance Directorate of GoldBod and bears the name of the Chief Executive Officer, Samuel Gyamfi, Esq.

The new XRF requirement forms part of GoldBod’s broader efforts to standardise gold trading, strengthen accountability and improve the accuracy and consistency of gold purity assessments across the licensed buying chain.