Minerals Commission increases number of items on local procurement list to 50

The Minerals Commission has increased the number of items on the Local Procurement List of goods and services reserved for Ghanaians to 50.

The number of items on the procurement list for goods and services was 41 last year.

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. Samuel Abu Jinapor, who disclosed this at a press briefing in Accra on Tuesday, stated that the new additions include the provision of medical services at mine sites, construction and management of tailings storage facilities, assaying, and motor rewinding.

That, according to the minister, forms part of measures to promote job creation in the mining industry through the use of local expertise, goods and services.

“The provision of these goods and services by Ghanaians will ensure that we retain here in our country some US$3,000,000,000.00 annually, which would have otherwise been exported,” he noted.

Mr. Jinapor further disclosed that the government had increased the provision of financial, insurance, and reinsurance services reserved for Ghanaians from 20 percent to a minimum of 60 percent.

He stated that the government was in talks with the Rand Refinery of South Africa and a London Bullion Marketing Association (LBMA) Referee to secure LBMA certification to enable Ghana to easily export and trade refined gold on the international market.