The Minerals Commission is developing minimum wage and tender benchmarks for contract mining firms to prevent aggressive underbidding as Ghana pushes miners to outsource more operations to local contractors.
In January 2025, the government ordered miners to shift surface operations—blasting, loading, hauling and dumping—to Ghanaian‑owned contractors, and underground work to joint ventures with at least 50% local ownership by the end of 2025, or face sanctions.
Ben Birch‑Mensah, director of local content at the commission, told Reuters that the regulator wants to ensure workers are not worse off under contract mining. “The regulator does not want people to be worse off under contract mining,” he said. “We are putting together a baseline so that contract miners cannot pay employees below a certain threshold.”
The commission is also preparing minimum tender benchmarks to stop contractors from bidding below sustainable levels. Birch‑Mensah noted that some contractors have been unable to meet operating costs after aggressive underbidding and that a committee will be set up to work out policy details.
Many firms had voluntarily outsourced operations before the January 2025 rules, but compliance with the December 2026 deadline remains non‑negotiable. Newmont, Zijin and Ghana Manganese Company are among those yet to comply, the commission said. The companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Ghana Chamber of Mines criticised the policy, arguing that contract mining should be optional, not mandatory. However, the chamber backed efforts to address underbidding, warning that unhealthy competition could affect worker welfare and safety. “If people keep undercutting themselves, they may not have the resources to undertake the work, they won't pay workers properly, they won't train people, and safety is compromised,” said Chamber CEO Ken Ashigbey.
Ken Ashigbey added that the chamber is exploring contractor classifications and minimum bid thresholds to curb underbidding, noting that contractors account for a significant share of mining incidents.
