The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Emmanuel Kwamena Anyimah, popularly known as Ellembelle KK, has urged businesses in the mining supply chain to build sustainable enterprises that will continue to thrive long after mining operations end.

He said suppliers must move beyond securing contract renewals and focus on building strategic partnerships that can sustain local economies beyond the lifespan of mineral deposits.

Anyimah made the call when he served as Guest of Honour at a suppliers’ conference held at the Akoon Club House in Tarkwa in the Western Region.

The conference was held on the theme: “Partnership for Enduring Value: Building Resilient Supply Chains Beyond Mining.”

He delivered the address on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Isaac Tandoh.

Anyimah said Ghana’s mining sector was undergoing significant reforms, anchored by Cabinet’s endorsement of a comprehensive review of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), marking the first major review of the law in 20 years.

He said the Bill, currently before Parliament, would establish District Mining Committees as the first point of licensing, introduce a medium-scale mining category for Ghanaian entrepreneurs and make Community Development Agreements mandatory for every mining lease.

“Host communities will become co-signatories to their own development rather than beneficiaries of goodwill,” he said.

He added that the proposed legislative changes were being supported by a revised Minerals and Mining Policy, new Royalties Regulations (L.I. 2517) featuring a sliding-scale regime, the automation of licensing through the Mining Cadastre Administration System (MCAS), and the deployment of geofencing and tracking technologies to strengthen regulatory compliance.

On local content, Anyimah said the Commission’s focus had shifted beyond trading volumes to include value addition, manufacturing linkages and skills transfer.

“When a Tarkwa-based enterprise supplies, fabricates or services a mine, it contributes to an economy that will outlive the pit,” he said.

He noted that, under the leadership of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the government aimed to move Ghana away from exporting raw minerals towards achieving full domestic value addition by 2030.