Chris Aston, team lead for the UKGGP, highlighted the severity of the issue at a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) meeting focused on mining reforms and governance.
He noted that nearly 60 tonnes of gold were smuggled out of Ghana in 2022 alone, worsening the country's financial losses.
Aston urged Ghanaian authorities to take immediate and decisive measures to combat this trend, warning that unchecked illegal mining practices, particularly small-scale operations known as galamsey, could have catastrophic effects on the economy. "This is all lost revenue to the government of Ghana.
At the moment, the sector is vulnerable, being exploited by organised crime groups.