The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, has held discussions with a delegation from the Kyrgyz Republic on Ghana’s reforms in the gold trading sector.

The delegation was led by Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Jeenbek Kulubayev, and accompanied by Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

The meeting focused on Ghana’s efforts to formalise the gold trading sector and opportunities for cooperation between Ghana and Kyrgyzstan in gold mining, trading, technical expertise and investment.

Sammy Gyamfi briefed the delegation on GoldBod’s mandate and reforms aimed at strengthening Ghana’s gold industry.

The discussions included measures to curb gold smuggling and leakages, increase gold purchases from the artisanal and small-scale mining sector, and promote local refining and value addition.

The Kyrgyz delegation expressed interest in Ghana’s experience in formalising and regulating the gold trade and indicated an interest in exploring areas where the two countries could share technical expertise.

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa called for the development of a formal framework agreement to facilitate technical exchanges and deepen bilateral cooperation between Ghana and Kyrgyzstan.

The engagement forms part of broader efforts to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the mining and natural resources sectors.