Ghana will start refining gold and other minerals before the end of 2020, Mr Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources said on Friday.

Construction work on the country’s refinery-the Royal Gold Ghana Limited was 90 per cent complete and expected to be ready next month for operation, he disclosed.

The Minister said this when he and his deputy, Mr Benito Owusu-Bio, paid a working visit to the construction site of the refinery on the premises of the Precious Mineral and Marketing Company Limited (PMMC) in Accra.

He praised Shaporji Pallonji Ghana Limited, contractors working on the 25 million dollar project for the “quality concrete works” and the judicious use of land.

Mr Asomah-Cheremeh said the refinery, with a capacity of 300 kilograms of raw materials a day would generate taxes for government and create jobs to grow the local economy.

Mr Sandesh Ingale, Project Manager, Shaporji Pallonji told the Ghana News Agency that the plant would produce refined gold with value addition for local and international markets.

He said the facility had reinforced retaining walls, high technology security and waste treatment systems to address solid, liquid and air pollution.

The plant has a basement, ground floor, an underground water tank, a utility building, an upper terrace and a helipad.

The helipad, which is situated at a “dead area” on top of the refinery, is to facilitate the movement of raw materials and finished products and help in rescue operations during emergencies.

The Ghana News Agency was told the project started in April last year and was scheduled to be completed in 12 months but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the progress of work.