Bawumia unveils PMMC’s Digitised National Assay Laboratory

Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia Wednesday unveiled the Digitised National Assay Laboratory at the National Assay Centre, Kotoka International Airport (KIA), Accra to help curb corruption in the mineral resource trade.

The state-of-the-art laboratory, operated by the Precious Minerals Marketing Company Limited (PMMC), will enable the company to produce computer-generated Assay Certificates with distinct security features that make it difficult for fraudsters to forge to facilitate their gold scams.

The facility will aid the PMMC, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Bank of Ghana (BoG) and other relevant state institutions to obtain real-time data on gold exports and generate varied reports, which would help in effective national economic planning and curb corruption in the mineral resource trade.

The PMMC, since the commencement of the National Assay Programme in 2017 till date, had been able to assay 18 million ounces of gold at an estimated value of $27 billion, with the artisanal small-scale mining sector accounting for 6.6 million ounces, valued at $9.2 billion.

The large-scale sector accounted for 11.3 million ounces, valued at $ 17.9 billion.

The lab is fitted with modern fire assay equipment and will soon develop a traceability system to track the chain of custody of gold ore right from the producing miner to its final destination.

Vice President Bawumia, in his keynote address, said the digitalised assay laboratory will put Ghana is on the global map as a credible responsible source of gold and contribute to the President’s vision of making the country a potent and sustainable mineral hub in Africa.

He described the feat chalked by the PMMC as remarkable, which would help promote accountability and transparency in gold exports and go a long way to curbing gold smuggling and other corrupt practices in the gold export trade.

The Akufo-Addo-led Government was transforming the public sector through digitisation to create jobs for the teeming youth, boost productivity and engender wealth creation, he said.

The Vice President assured of the government’s commitment to supporting both public and private sector institutions that intended to digitalise their operations.

He mentioned initiatives like the Ghana.gov and the digitisation of the operations of the Driver and Vehicle licensing Authority, Lands Commission, Registrar General’s Department and Passport Office as some of the digitalisation efforts.
Dr Bawumia noted that the Government was integrating the various digital systems to enhance the quality of service and ultimately support the country’s economy to thrive.

Nana Akwasi Awuah, the Managing Director of PMMC, said the digitalised laboratory would help check and verify data on gold exports and address disparities in the commodity trade records, particularly gold exports between Ghana and the destination countries.

He said the PMMC started its assay operations on gold in 2017 within the small-scale mining sector while the large-scale mining sector commenced in 2018.

The PMMC, he said, derived its constitutional mandate for assay analysis from the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) and Regulations 2012 (L.I 2173), which required it to conduct assay analysis on gold export to achieve the appropriate taxes for the state.

The Bank of Ghana, therefore, engaged it to provide quality assurance on its Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.

Inspired by the government’s digitisation drive, the PMMC reviewed its assay operations in 2020 to digitise the programme, Nana Awuah said.

Therefore, in 2021 its National Assay Laboratory went digital, which enabled it to produce computer-generated Assay Certificates with distinct security features and made it difficult for fraudsters to forge them to facilitate their gold scam.

The lab also helped the PMMC, Ghana Revenue Authority, Bank of Ghana and other state institutions to obtain real-time data on gold exports and generate varied reports.

Nana Awuah said access to the dashboard of the digitised lab had already been granted to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources and his deputy ministers.

This will soon be extended to the President as the constitutional trustee of Ghana’s precious minerals and to the Vice President, who heads government’s economic management team.

Other government officials to have access to the assay platform include the Minister of Finance, Governor of the Bank of Ghana, the Commissioner-General of the GRA as well as the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission.

Although in the past couple of years gold export figures declined due to the government’s three per cent withholding tax on gold export, the export figures had begun picking up since the beginning of this year, he said.

Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources said the Ministry was fully committed to the government’s digitalisation agenda, hence the frantic efforts being made to digitise its agencies to enhance service delivery.

He said the 400-kilogramme capacity gold refinery was ready and would soon begin operations to aid gold trading.

The government’s decision to reduce the three per cent withholding tax on gold to 1.5 per cent, this year, was received with joy by industry players, he said and expressed the belief that it would go a long way to ensure a sustainable indigenous mining industry.