The UK government has revealed that Ghana loses $2 billion annually in tax revenue to illegal mining and gold smuggling.
Speaking at a Civil Society Organization (CSO) meeting with political parties on mining reforms and governance, Chris Aston, team lead for the UK Ghana Gold Programme (UKGGP) stated, “This is all lost revenue to the government of Ghana. At the moment, the sector is vulnerable. It is being exploited by organised crime groups. The threats are growing. The gold smuggling has more than doubled. We want to disrupt illegal mining and illicit financial inflows. Ghana loses more than US$2 billion yearly to gold smuggling”.
Chris Aston highlighted that reversing this trend is crucial to protecting Ghana’s economic future.
The UK-Ghana Gold Programme (UKGGP) collaborates with the Government of Ghana at unlocking the full potential of artisanal mining to benefit Ghanaians, while also preventing ecological degradation and protecting the health and well-being of miners.
In 2022, it was reported that close to 60 tonnes of gold were smuggled out of Ghana.
