The Export of Gold from Ghana
Gold is a major export commodity for Ghana,
with this precious metal bringing in nearly 48 percent of the
country’s revenue. After South Africa, Ghana is the largest gold
producer in Africa and in the first quarter of 2012, the country
earned around $1.5 billion through export of gold. According to
the Bank of Ghana, the country will continue seeing an increase
in revenue with gold exports. It is expected that in 2012, Ghana
will earn more than $4 billion with gold exports. The Export of Gold from Ghana
Ghana has always relied heavily on a select
few commodities and exports just those. Gold is one such
commodity. By doing this, Ghana has been able to protect its
environment and also attract foreign investment. The country has
always been a major producer of gold and today, it has the
honour of having one of the largest gold reserves in the world.
Thanks to the proactive initiatives taken by the government,
gold exports are soaring with each passing day. With the help of
foreign investment, Ghana has managed to improve output and also
generate substantial job opportunities for its people. Gold Mining and Environmental Issues in Ghana
More than 90 percent of the countries gold
output occurs from the Ashanti region. The Ashanti Goldfields
Corporation has modernised its operations and is using
environmentally-friendly methods to mine and process gold.
However, it is the 10 percent output that is a worrying factor.
This 10 percent is in the form of small scale gold miners, who
use outdated and harmful methods to extract gold. As a result,
rivers are being diverted, and air, water and ground pollution
has become a major issue in the country. In some areas, due to
soil erosion and leaching, desertification has occurred. Many of
these small scale miners use mercury to extract gold from the
sediments and this has resulted in contamination of drinking
water as well as groundwater. The locals are also suffering from
health issues, thanks to mercury poisoning. The surrounding
flora and fauna have not been spared either. The Future of Gold Exports from Ghana
The government needs to ensure that gold
mining companies use modern and environment-friendly methods to
extract gold. If this does not happen, the environment will be
damaged irreversibly and people in the surrounding areas would
not be fit enough, both physically and mentally, to take up jobs
in this sector. This will put an end to the gold mining and by
default gold exports. Copyright gepcghana.com 2010 All Rights Reserved |