GoldBod makes XRF testing mandatory for gold purchases from September

The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has announced that all licensed gold buyers will be required to use X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) technology to determine the purity of gold from September 1, 2026.

The directive forms part of a new compliance notice issued by the GoldBod on August 17, 2026, on the determination of gold purity for all gold purchases in Ghana.

Under the new directive, XRF assay will become the standard method for determining the purity of gold doré purchased by GoldBod and its licensed buyers.

GoldBod said the traditional water density method will no longer be accepted as the final basis for determining gold purity.

The Board has strongly advised all licensed buyers to acquire suitable XRF equipment and ensure that their personnel are properly trained to operate the machines. Buyers are also required to keep proper records of XRF measurements for all purchases.

According to GoldBod in situations where an XRF machine is not available due to genuine operational or logistical challenges, the water density method may be used only as an indicative measure.

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In such cases, GoldBod requires the gold doré to be purchased at a purity discount of at least 0.5% from the purity determined through the water density method. The gold will later be assessed by GoldBod using the XRF method, which will serve as the final basis for determining purity and payment.

GoldBod has also directed all licensed aggregators to acquire appropriate XRF machines and deploy them to their respective Tier 2 and Tier 1 buyers to ensure accurate and consistent determination of gold purity at the point of purchase.

The Board further directed licensed buyers to maintain a permissible purity difference of plus or minus 0.05% when comparing successive XRF reports for the same gold or transaction.

Any difference beyond this limit must be verified and reconciled before the transaction is completed or reported to GoldBod.

GoldBod warned that all licensed buyers and aggregators must comply with the directive from September 1, 2026.

It also warned that failure to comply will constitute a breach of licence terms and conditions and may result in regulatory and enforcement action under the Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140).

The Board has therefore urged all licensed buyers to take the necessary steps to ensure they are fully prepared before the September 1 deadline.