The next National Democratic Congress (NDC) government will set up a Gold Board to regulate and support the small-scale mining sector.

The service support would range from concession viability, health, safety and efficiency in mine operations, equipment financing and mining input, research and standardisation, gold recovery optimisation and land reclamation services.

Mr John Dramani Mahama, the Flagbearer of the party, announced this on Monday during the launch of the party's manifesto in Accra.

He said the NDC government would develop a national policy to restructure the small-scale mining and miners to undertake skills training in land reclamation as a required component of their operations to minimise the environmental impact of their activities.

He said the party would ban the export of unrefined as gold refineries in gold producing regions would be established in conjunction with the private sector to ass value to the metal.

"Gold Board will issue licenses to Ghanaian companies and foreign companies with local partners, giving clear geographical boundaries as their catchment area for production," he said.

According to the Flagbearer, his government would introduce an off-taker system for the refined gold, with a buying programme, where the Bank of Ghana, would refine gold as part of its new precious metal reserve purchasing programme.