GoldBod Makes XRF Assay Mandatory for Gold Purchases From September 1

The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has announced the mandatory adoption of X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) assay as the standard method for determining gold purity in all gold purchases in Ghana, in a move aimed at improving accuracy, consistency and transparency across the country’s gold trading value chain.

The new directive takes effect from September 1, 2026, and will apply to GoldBod and all its licensed buyers. Under the Compliance Notice issued by the Board on Monday, August 17, 2026, XRF assay will become the standard basis for determining the purity of gold doré purchased by GoldBod and its licensed buyers.

The directive effectively removes the water density method as the definitive basis for determining gold purity. Licensed buyers have consequently been strongly advised to acquire suitable XRF equipment, train personnel in its proper use and maintain appropriate records of XRF measurements for every purchase.

GoldBod said where a buyer is unable to use XRF because of genuine operational or logistical constraints, the water density method may be used only as an indicative measurement. In such instances, the gold doré must be purchased at a minimum 0.5 percent purity discount, after which GoldBod will conduct an XRF assessment that will form the basis for the final purity determination and payment.

The Board has also directed licensed Aggregators to acquire appropriate XRF machines and deploy them to their Tier 1 and Tier 2 buyers to facilitate accurate determination of gold purity at source.

To further strengthen consistency in assay results, GoldBod has prescribed a permissible purity differential of plus or minus 0.05 percent between successive XRF reports for the same gold or transaction. Any variance beyond this threshold must undergo further verification and reconciliation before the transaction is concluded or reported.

GoldBod said strict compliance will be required from September 1, 2026. The directive forms part of the licence conditions of all Aggregators and licensed gold buyers, with breaches potentially attracting regulatory and enforcement measures under the Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140).

The reform is expected to strengthen the integrity of gold valuation at the point of purchase and provide greater consistency in transactions across Ghana’s formal gold market.