Ghana’s Minerals Commission is developing minimum wage and tender benchmarks for mining contractors to prevent unsustainable bidding and protect workers’ pay and conditions as the country pushes for greater Ghanaian participation in the mining sector.
The Minerals Commission says the proposed wage floor will ensure that workers employed by contract mining companies are not paid below an established threshold.
The regulator is also preparing minimum tender benchmarks to discourage contractors from submitting bids that are too low to support sustainable operations.
According to the Minerals Commission’s Director of Local Content, Ben Birch-Mensah, aggressive underbidding can leave contractors unable to meet operating costs and may ultimately affect workers’ pay, training and safety.
Ghana introduced rules in January 2025 requiring surface mining operations to move to Ghanaian-owned contractors, while underground operations are expected to involve joint ventures with at least 50% Ghanaian ownership. The compliance deadline is December 31, 2026.
However, the policy has faced opposition from the Ghana Chamber of Mines, which argues that contract mining should not be mandatory. The Chamber nevertheless supports efforts to prevent unhealthy competition and unsustainable bidding among contractors.
The Minerals Commission has indicated that the December 2026 deadline for local contractor participation remains firm. Several major mining companies have yet to fully comply with the directive.
Source: Minerals Commission and Ghana Chamber of Mines
