The first consignment of oil under the governments gold for oil policy, which seeks to stem the depreciation of the cedi against major trading currencies, has arrived at Tema Port and discharged into the receptacles of Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST).
The 41,000 metric tonnes of the petroleum products delivered by SCF YENISEI will be sold by BOST to bulk distributing companies (BDCs) around Ghana, according to the state-owned Daily Graphic.
Valued at US$40 million, the deal was brokered by the economic management team, led by Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia.
In November 2022, the government announced plans to buy oil products with gold rather than US dollars.
Vice-President Bawumia said that the move was meant to tackle dwindling foreign currency reserves coupled with demand for dollars by oil importers, which was weakening the local cedi and increasing living costs.
“It will fundamentally change our balance of payments and significantly reduce the persistent depreciation of our currency,” Bawumia said.
He added that using gold would prevent the exchange rate from having a direct impact on fuel or utility prices, as domestic sellers would no longer need foreign exchange to import oil products.
Procurement
According to a Graphic Online source associated with the process, the first consignment cost $40 million worth of gold.
The source said BOST will sell the product to the BDCs, with proceeds paid to an escrow account at the Bank of Ghana for procurement of gold to maintain the process.
Other members of the team that worked for the operationalisation of the move are the Ministers of Energy and Lands and Natural Resources, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, the Chamber of Mines, the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) and BOST.