Ghana’s Minerals Commission is developing minimum wage and tender benchmarks for mining contractors as the country moves to increase the involvement of locally owned companies in its mining industry.
The regulator says the new measures are intended to prevent contractors from submitting extremely low bids simply to win mining contracts. Officials are concerned that unsustainable bids could eventually affect workers’ salaries, training and safety.
Ghana, Africa’s leading gold producer, introduced new local-content rules in 2025 requiring mining companies to move surface mining activities, including blasting, loading, hauling and dumping, to Ghanaian-owned contractors. Underground mining operations are expected to involve joint ventures with at least 50% Ghanaian ownership.
Mining companies have until December 31, 2026, to comply with the requirements.
However, some mine workers have raised concerns that moving more operations to contractors could result in lower wages and weaker job security.
Ben Birch-Mensah, director of local content at the Minerals Commission, said the regulator wants to make sure workers do not become worse off because of the shift to contract mining. The commission is therefore working on a baseline that would prevent contractors from paying employees below an established minimum level.
The commission is also preparing minimum tender benchmarks. These would help prevent contractors from submitting bids that are so low that they cannot cover their operating costs.
The Ghana Chamber of Mines has criticised the government’s decision to make contract mining mandatory, arguing that companies should have the freedom to decide whether to outsource their operations.
However, the chamber supports efforts to tackle unhealthy competition among contractors. Its chief executive, Ken Ashigbey, warned that companies that underbid too aggressively may not have enough money to properly pay workers, provide training or maintain safety standards.
The Minerals Commission is expected to work with industry stakeholders on the details of the new wage and tender requirements.
The development comes as Ghana seeks to ensure that more of the economic benefits from its valuable mineral resources remain within the country. The government hopes that greater local participation will create more jobs and business opportunities for Ghanaian companies while maintaining proper standards across the mining industry.
