The Société Nationale des Substances Précieuses, SONASP, opened the office in Tenkodogo’s Cité du 11-Décembre on 29 October. It adds to the company’s purchasing network in Bobo-Dioulasso, Gaoua and Banfora.
Alongside purchasing gold, the office will identify artisanal miners and issue their registration cards, according to SONASP’s director-general. The practical offer is a nearby formal buyer and registration point for miners and collectors who otherwise operate through dispersed trading networks.
The first gold bar weighed at the office was approximately 338.46 grams, with an estimated value of CFA25.64 million. SONASP says the wider objective is to reduce the production escaping official channels and improve transaction security and traceability.