Approximately 50 tonnes of artisanal gold leave the Democratic Republic of Congo outside official channels each year, representing an estimated annual revenue loss of $7.5 billion to the Congolese economy, according to DRC Gold Trading, the state-owned gold trading company.
The figures were disclosed by the company's Director General, Joseph M. Kazibaziba, in a video published on social media platform X.
Before the implementation of new oversight mechanisms, the DRC officially exported less than one tonne of artisanal gold per year. Kazibaziba stated that the country was declaring fewer than 1,000 kilograms of gold exports while several dozen tonnes were already escaping official statistics annually.
DRC Gold Trading reports, however, that declared exports have since increased, with the company recording exports of more than 11 tonnes of artisanal gold over the past three years, channelling more than $1.5 billion into the formal economy.
Despite this progress, fraud remains substantial. Kazibaziba estimated that more than 100 tonnes of artisanal gold left the DRC illicitly over the past three years — acknowledging that current mechanisms have not yet produced a significant reduction in smuggling. In several mining provinces in eastern DRC, artisanal gold continues to transit clandestinely through neighbouring countries before reaching international markets.
DRC Gold Trading is also developing a national refinery certified to London Bullion Market Association standards, which would allow the DRC to refine and export gold domestically at internationally recognised quality grades, retaining greater value within the country. No timeline or capital expenditure figure for the LBMA-accredited refinery was disclosed in the announcement.
