Rapport Services, Jewellers Association Hold 2019 Gold Statement Conference

Rapport Services in collaboration with the Jewellers Association of Ghana has successfully held the 2019 edition of the Gold Statement Conference to exhibit authentic Ghanaian handmade jewellery.

The three-day Conference organised on the theme “Branding Ghana as a Jewellery Hub in West Africa and Beyond” brought together a host of exhibitors to showcase beautifully made jewellery in the country with all kinds of minerals.

On the opening day of the conference at the Accra International Conference Center on Thursday, December 6, 2019, key stakeholders expected to work towards achieving President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his government’s vision of making Ghana a hub for gold in Africa gathered to deliberate on the way forward.

Speaking at the conference, chairman for the Minerals Commission, Hon. S.K Boafo congratulated the organisers for bringing the Gold Statement Conference back to life while stressing that it will go a long way to help the country build a stronger jewellery industry.

“The Gold Statement Conference provides the perfect opportunity for Ghana to build and showcase her jewellery industry. As the theme suggests, this conference is indeed a response to the president’s challenge for a better minerals and mining industry”, he noted.

Hon. S.K Boafo further assured industry players that the government is undertaking a number of initiatives to rectify the challenges associated with the jewellery industry. According to him, several policies and programs will be implemented soon to attract investors to help in the growth of the industry.

On his part, President of Ghana Jewellers Association, Mr. Jonathan Ababio shared that he is excited the government has shown interest to refine and add value to gold before it is exported.

He believes that it will help rake in huge sums of monies to boost the country’s economy.

“We have been exporting gold for years and seriously the percentage that we make as a country is negligible even though it sounds significant. If we add value to it imagine how much more the country will gain”, he said.

Chief Executive Officer for Rapport Services, Mrs. Judy Nakuor Crayem also commended the Minerals Commission for championing government’s vision to add value to gold as parts of efforts to make the country a hub for Africa.

Other stakeholders in the value addition chain including the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Ministry of Trade and Industries, the Geological Survey Authority, and the Ghana Standards Authority have assured that they are willing to play their roles to ensure the dream of turning Ghana into a Jewellery hub becomes a reality.

As part of activities lined up for the conference, a workshop to train pupils from selected schools in Accra in jewellery making was organized on Thursday and Friday.

Meanwhile, a gala night and jewellery catwalk is being organized at the Accra International Conference Center tonight to climax a successful conference and exhibition program.