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The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has partnered B-Light Jewellery to expand access to locally finished gold jewellery and gold tablets across the Western, Central and Western North regions.

The partnership forms part of GoldBod Jewellery’s Local Expansion Partnership Programme, aimed at working with retailers, agents and franchisees to make value-added gold products more accessible to consumers across Ghana.

Speaking at the launch of the partnership in Takoradi, Managing Director of GoldBod Jewellery, Ms. Gertrude Emefa Donkor Esq., said the opening of the new showroom represents more than an expansion of the company’s retail network.

She said it also reflects GoldBod’s broader objective of creating jobs, retaining more value from Ghana’s gold resources within the country and driving economic empowerment.

“What you’re witnessing here today is the creation of a few more jobs for our youth, value retention within our borders, economic empowerment, and for us as a company, this represents executing our strategic mandate, which is maximizing the benefit of our natural resource, gold,” she said.

Ms. Donkor said Ghana was increasingly placing greater emphasis on value addition in the gold sector, including refining gold locally and developing finished products for the domestic and international markets.

She said the approach would enable Ghanaians to benefit more directly from the country’s mineral resources instead of primarily exporting gold in raw form.

According to her, GoldBod Jewellery is investing in machinery, modern equipment, information technology infrastructure and staff training as part of efforts to transform its production capacity.

She disclosed that the company was also developing an ultra-modern production facility to increase output for the domestic market while positioning the company to compete internationally.

“We are building an ultra-modern facility so that we can scale up production to feed the domestic market and potentially penetrate the international market and be able to compete globally,” she said.

Ms. Donkor said GoldBod Jewellery had opened its doors to businesses, corporate institutions and individuals interested in partnering with the company to expand its retail presence.

She said the initiative was designed to ensure that Ghanaians across the country could access locally finished gold jewellery and other GoldBod products.

She said the response to the partnership programme had been overwhelming, with B-Light Jewellery emerging among businesses that expressed interest and subsequently met the requirements for the partnership.

Under the arrangement, B-Light Jewellery will serve as GoldBod Jewellery’s partner in the Western, Central and Western North regions.

Ms. Donkor urged residents to support the Takoradi-based business, saying its growth would contribute to the expansion of GoldBod Jewellery’s presence in the region.

“The growth of her business is the growth of GoldBod Jewellery and, of course, the growth of a business which is located right here in the heart of Takoradi,” she said.

She expressed the hope that the success of the partnership would pave the way for more GoldBod Jewellery outlets to be established in Takoradi and other parts of the Western Region.

Meanwhile western regional minister Joseph Nelson said government remained focused on strengthening local participation and value addition across productive sectors, with the gold industry offering opportunities beyond mining.

He identified refining, jewellery production, manufacturing, retail and skills development as areas where Ghanaians could participate more meaningfully in the gold value chain.

Mr. Nelson urged the two companies to consider the Western Region not only as a new market but as a long-term partner in developing Ghana’s jewellery and gold value-addition industry.

He also encouraged them to explore skills development opportunities for young people interested in jewellery design, craftsmanship and related enterprises.

According to him, such interventions could create livelihoods while preserving and modernising Ghana’s gold craftsmanship heritage.

GoldBod exceeds September FX target; generates $1.87bn from gold trade

By Ebenezer Atiemo