Gold Coast Refinery (GCR), a Ghanaian based gold refinery company, received a major boost to its operations following certification by the Responsible Jewelry Council Certification (RJC), an affiliate of the London Bullion Market Association.
The new certification means that the company can now actively participate in the global fine jewelry industry by adhering to responsible business.
RJC is the leading standards authority in the global watch and jewelry industry that works with members worldwide to create a sustainable supply chain.
Speaking to the Ghanaian Times in Accra, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GCR, Dr Said Deraz, said RJC certification was a reward for the tireless efforts and standards established by the company.
He explained that his outfit had established a responsible supply chain with strict emphasis on due diligence procedures to meet the criteria of the audit process.
"This has been achieved with assistance of the Western Regional Coordinating Council of the Government of Ghana and Viewtag Ghana Gold Expo, a mining policy and advocacy group that promotes responsible mining," he emphasised.
Dr Duraz said the GCR was established in 2016 as a state of the art gold refinery with the capacity to produce 180metric tons gold of 999.9ppt.
He said the company was licensed by the government and mandated to buy, assay, smelt, refine and export gold, stressing that, "the refinery performs other services within the industry including vault services, logistics, capacity building and training".
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Recounting the gold industry in the country, he said Ghana had been mining gold for centuries and the coming in of the GCR was to bridge the gap in the value addition in the industry.
He said the challenges in Ghana had always been value addition to the gold produced by small scale miners prior to export, as well as the use of mercury and other chemicals harmful to the environment and human health.
The RJC code of practice was the only industry standard covering the entire international jewelry and watch supply chain as approved by the LBMA.
"This certification of GCR will allow unhindered access to the international market for Ghana's refined gold," he said.
Dr Duraz said the certification would help not only the company but help establish Ghana as the regional centre for international gold trade.
