The Democratic Republic of Congo’s central bank will start purchasing gold for its monetary reserves from DRC Gold Trading SA, the company announced Friday. The central bank currently holds no gold in its reserves, a situation described by Governor Andre Wameso as “inconceivable,” according to reporting by Bloomberg.

DRC Gold Trading, which was established three years ago under the name Primera, will supply gold sourced from Congo’s artisanal mining sites, Bloomberg reported. These small-scale operations sustain hundreds of thousands of miners but operate largely outside official commercial networks.

In a video shared with reporters, Wameso said the central bank intends to become “the principal off-taker of gold produced by our artisanal diggers through DRC Gold Trading,” Bloomberg reported. The partnership’s terms were not disclosed.

Much of Congo’s gold, particularly from conflict-affected eastern provinces, is trafficked to neighbouring countries before being shipped to Dubai, according to the Congolese government and United Nations experts. DRC Gold Trading aims to curb these informal flows and reduce the influence of armed groups in the sector.

Joseph Kazibaziba, managing director of DRC Gold Trading, told Bloomberg in January that the company is targeting 18 tons of gold output this year. At current prices, that volume would be valued at nearly three billion US dollars.

Wameso also told Bloomberg in August that the central bank was exploring partnerships to build a domestic refinery. The project is intended to increase the bank’s reserves and strengthen the Congolese franc. “The gold, happily, we have it under our feet,” he said.