Ghana has ordered gold exporters known as Self-Financing Aggregators to refine semi-processed gold domestically before shipping it abroad, under a directive that took effect on 1 September. The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), the authority established under a 2025 law to oversee the country's gold trade, says the move is designed to capture refining margins that have historically been lost to overseas processors — potentially creating local jobs and feeding industries such as jewellery manufacturing. The policy comes as Ghana's gold export earnings nearly doubled to around $20bn in 2025, intensifying government pressure to bring more of the gold value chain under domestic control.