GoldBod Mandates XRF Testing for Gold Purity from September 1
The Ghana Gold Board (Goldbod) has directed all licensed gold buyers to adopt X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) assay as the standard method for determining gold purity for all gold purchases in the country, effective September 1, 2026.
In a compliance notice issued by its Compliance Directorate, GoldBod said the directive forms part of its regulatory mandate over the gold trade sector and the terms governing gold buying licences.
Under the new rule, XRF assay will constitute the standard basis for determining the purity of all gold doré purchased by GoldBod and its licensed buyers.
The Board added that, for the avoidance of doubt, the water density method will no longer be the definitive basis for determining purity.
GoldBod strongly advised all licensed buyers to acquire and use suitable XRF devices at the point of purchase and to ensure their personnel are adequately trained in the proper use of the equipment.
Buyers are also required to maintain appropriate records of XRF measurements for all transactions.
For situations where a licensed buyer is unable to use an XRF device due to genuine operational constraints, GoldBod said purity determined by the water density method should be treated as indicative only.
In such cases, the gold doré must be purchased at a purity discount of at least 0.5% from the water density result, and the gold must subsequently be assessed by GoldBod using XRF, which will form the basis for final payment.
The Board further directed all licensed Aggregators to acquire XRF machines and deploy them to Tier 1 and Tier 2 buyers to ensure accurate and consistent purity determination at source.
It also set a permissible purity differential of plus or minus 0.05% between successive XRF reports for the same transaction. Any deviation beyond that will be subject to further verification before the transaction is concluded or reported to GoldBod.
GoldBod warned that compliance with the notice is mandatory from September 1, 2026, and that the directive forms part of all licence conditions.
Failure to comply will constitute a breach of licence terms and may attract regulatory and enforcement measures under the Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140).
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