The Expo which is being organised in collaboration with "Aurum Monaco" a France based Gold Refinery would come off on 8th to 10th March next year.

It would be on the theme "promoting responsible Gold in Africa, zero mercury".

Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, Western Regional Minister who made this known at the launch, sad the Expo seek to promote conducive business environment for investors to have confidence in the Gold trade and get better returns for their investment.

He said the Expo would also provide a platform for the dissemination of information on Gold trade and investment as well as a legal framework on its trade.

The Regional Minister said the Expo was a total package with an overarching aim to deepen bilateral cooperation to promote ZERO MERCURY Gold operations in Africa, Asia, North and South America, Europe and Australia.

He said the western region was endowed with rich minerals and other resources of which gold cannot be left out.

Mr Darko-Mensah said, it was in this regard that the region saw it imperative to coordinate and operate with this laudable idea to showcase its gold mining initiative.

"I must admit that this partnership could not have come at any better time than this. My administration has a vision to make the Western Region a business Hub and a preferred reference point for investment," he said.

Mr. Selim Fendi, the Chief Executive Officer of Aurum Monaco Gold Refinery, said the goal of the company was to train miners on good mining practices without the use of mercury.

He said the company also intends to deal with health and safety issues in mining communities especially in the small scale mining sectors.

The CEO said they would also create the awareness on mercury, face out and educate miners on the need to avoid the use of mercury in mining as it would help improve upon the health of the miners.

Mr. Fendi said with concern that, last year alone, Ghana used 91 tonnes of mercury in mining of which 48 tonnes was releases into the atmosphere while 28 tonnes ended up at river banks across the country having a health and environmental implications worldwide.

He said Aurum Monaco was not just participating in the Expo, but to offer sustainable solutions that would help eliminate the use of mercury in mining.

He said "we want to eliminate the use of mercury by small scale and artisanal miners and to introduce to them mercury free mining technologies that are currently available".