Over US$189m mining inputs procured locally

The Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission Dr. Toni Aubynn, says US$189 million worth of mining inputs were procured locally last year due largely to the compliance rating local content regulation.
 

This, he said, recorded about 79% compliance of the local content regulation last year adding that the figure could have been more but for increase in the mandatory items to acquire locally from 8 to 19.

Dr. Aubynn explained that though the regulation gives it the power to punish any mining firm that breeches the act, it would rather encourage organisations to abide by the regulation in order to benefit the Ghanaian workforce.

“If we did not have the enforcement of the law this amount would have gone elsewhere to purchase items to feed our mining sector.

If you look at the human resource side, we are saying that by 5 years of your operation, you should not have more than 6% of expatriate among your senior staff and we are seeing compliance to effect,” Dr. Aubynn said.

He made this known at the inauguration of a seven-member Mining Sector Training Fund Management Committee to ensure that the country deepens its local content drive in the minerals and mining sector which is in line with the mining sector localization programme under the Minerals and Mining (General) Regulations, 2012 (L.I.2173).

It outlines provisions for the recruitment of expatriates, training of Ghanaians and preference for local products. The Companies are required to comply with their respective localization programme approved by the Commission.

The membership of the committee is drawn from the Minerals Commission and the Ghana Chamber of Mines.

Dr Aubynn explained that the Committee that shall be responsible for submitting proposals to the CEO of the Minerals Commission for the utilisation of funds paid into the Funds account. 

This, he said is to ensure that the provisions achieve the desired intent of benefiting Ghanaian workers and local producers of the mining industry.

“It is my fervent hope that the Committee will discharge its duties to ensure that Ghana deepens the local content drive in the minerals and mining sector,” Dr. Aubynn said.