Minister of Mining, Martin Gama Abucha - Photo credit: website/Ministry of Mining

The Minister of Mining Martin Gama Abucha has issued a new order to regulate the gold trade and curb illegal mining activities in the country.

The order, dated November 6, restricts the buying, selling, and exporting of gold to companies holding mineral trading licenses.

It states that companies with small-scale mining licenses are only allowed to sell their gold locally to any Minerals Trading License holder in South Sudan.

The directive also sets the minimum quantity of gold allowed for export at 1,000 grams or 1 kilogram.

In October, the Ministry suspended the mining and exploration licenses of small-scale companies operating in Western Bahr el Ghazal State, one of the regions known for gold deposits.

According to the order, the suspension was issued to allow a nationwide geological survey to be carried out.