Accra, Ghana – Ghana will proceed with a new sliding-scale royalty regime for gold mining despite diplomatic pressure from the United States, China, and other Western governments.
The policy takes effect Tuesday as part of efforts to capture larger revenue shares from rising commodity prices.
Okay News reports that Minerals Commission Chief Executive Isaac Tandoh confirmed the decision on Monday. Foreign diplomatic missions had expressed concerns about the top royalty band but did not oppose the broader plan to review the framework.
The new system replaces the current flat 5% royalty with a sliding scale that increases as gold prices rise. Miners will pay up to 12% royalty when prices reach around 4,500 per ounce. Lithium royalties will also shift to a 5-12% sliding scale depending on global prices.
Executives from major mining companies have warned that the policy could discourage new projects. The Ghana Chamber of Mines raised concerns, with Chief Executive Kenneth Ashigbey warning that higher royalties could slow investment and reduce future output.
On March 6, 2026, the United States, China, and several Western governments launched coordinated diplomatic efforts to persuade Ghana to halt or modify the proposed increase. Mining company executives from Newmont, Gold Fields, AngloGold Ashanti, and Perseus Mining wrote to Ghana’s lands and natural resources ministry warning of increased operating costs.
A gold royalty is a payment mining companies make to governments for the right to extract minerals. The policy comes amid a major surge in gold prices this year. Global bullion prices have climbed nearly 20%, reaching a record high of about 5,595 per ounce earlier in 2026.
Ghana is Africa’s largest gold producer and among the world’s leading suppliers, producing roughly 6 million ounces in 2025. Gold accounts for about 40% of export earnings and forms the backbone of the mining sector.
Despite significant output, much of Ghana’s gold is exported in raw or semi-processed form. The country opened its first commercial refinery, the Royal Ghana Gold Refinery, in August 2024 through a public-private partnership between Rosy Royal Minerals of India and Ghana’s central bank.
