ACCRA, Ghana (PANA)—Ghanaian and South African ministers of Mines, Minerals and Energy have resolved to participate in a broad African delegation to the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States to seek a moratorium on gold sales by the British government and the International Monetary Fund until problems related to such sales have been satisfactorily resolved.

The announcement was contained in a joint communiqu� signed July 16 in Accra by the Ghanaian mines and energy minister and the visiting deputy south African minister of minerals and energy.

The communiqu� was issued after a day’s meeting by senior officials on the impact of the British and IMF gold sales.

The meeting was attended by officials from the Minerals Commission of Ghana, Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ghana Mineworkers Union, Chamber of Mines of South Africa and the National Union of Mineworkers of South Africa.

The two sides agreed that there was the need to work together for a strong collective approach to the IMF, United Kingdom and other central banks in Europe.

The communiqu� said the two ministers agreed that the sales are harmful to Africa.

In Ghana, 2,500 workers in two mines are in the process of being laid off with more jobs threatened should the low price continue. In South Africa 11,700 jobs at six mines have been lost and should the current price remain, 80,000 workers stand to lose their jobs.

The price of gold has plummeted to its lowest in 20 years following the recent British sale of 25 tons of gold, the first of an intended 450 tons of gold reserves. In June, the IMF proposed the sale of 10 million ounces of gold to provide a fund for highly indebted poor countries.

The price of the commodity, which was at $261 an ounce, dropped to $255 when the British sales started in mid-July, a figure far below the $278 an ounce at the beginning of the year.