Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited (CNML), the Chinese-owned mining company operating in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region, says it is committed to strengthening local businesses to enable them to secure more opportunities within the mining value chain.
The company says empowering local suppliers will not only help businesses expand but also create indirect employment and improve the livelihoods of families and communities within the region.
Vice President of CNML, Qi Xuanya, said the company fully supports Ghana’s Local Content Policy and sees it as a tool for building strong Ghanaian businesses, creating jobs and retaining more value from mining within the country.
He made the remarks at a Supplier Summit organised by CNML for businesses providing goods and services to the mining company. Mr. Xuanya said the company recognises the challenges confronting local suppliers, including limited equipment, technical gaps and difficulties in accessing financing.
He said CNML was therefore using the summit as a platform to engage suppliers, understand their challenges and explore practical ways of strengthening their businesses.
“CNML fully supports Ghana’s Local Content Policy. We do not see it only as a rule to follow – we see it as a way to build strong Ghanaian businesses, create jobs, and keep value in this country,” he said.
He urged suppliers to engage directly with the company, understand its procurement requirements and identify areas where they could improve their capacity to meet its demands.
Mr. Xuanya described the suppliers as more than contractors and vendors, saying their growth was closely connected to the development of the local economy.
“All of you who serve our company are not just contractors and suppliers. You are ambassadors and witnesses of our shared growth – and of the development of the local economy,” he said.
He said sustainable mining should be measured not only by the resources extracted but also by the businesses, skills and communities strengthened in the process.
Superintendent, Local Content and Grievance Management at CNML, Godwin Sebil Bade-Daamir, said the company’s ability to directly employ people from mining communities was limited, making supplier development an important avenue for creating indirect employment.
He said strengthening local businesses could also expose them to procurement systems, technology and the experience required to work effectively with multinational companies.
According to him, such exposure would ultimately enable local companies to become more competitive employers and expand their contribution to the regional economy.
“The impact of that will trickle down all the way, not only to the vendors themselves or suppliers, but it will also trickle down to the family and uplift the standards of living,” he said.
Mr. Bade-Daamir said some local businesses already had registered companies but lacked adequate knowledge of the regulatory requirements governing mining-related businesses.
He said the company was therefore using the engagement to educate suppliers on the need to obtain the necessary Minerals Commission recognition and comply with the applicable regulatory framework.
He explained that CNML’s initial development focus was largely on Category A products, but with the mine now fully operational, opportunities were increasingly emerging in Category B areas where more local businesses could participate.
He said helping suppliers understand the registration and regulatory requirements would enable them to grow alongside the mining company.
Manager of Supply Chain Management at CNML, Justice Okoe-Martey, said the Supplier Summit was part of the company’s commitment under Ghana’s local content framework to develop local businesses.
He said the mine had been operational for more than a year and it was therefore necessary to assess its experience with suppliers and identify areas requiring improvement.
“The objective is to upscale these companies. Most of them are working; they commit blunders that we will be having a formal feedback to tell them exactly how we expect them to operate,” he said.
Mr. Okoe-Martey said the summit was intended to establish clearer expectations for suppliers and help them become sufficiently competitive to bid for larger contracts.
He said CNML would follow up the maiden summit with a more detailed workshop to take suppliers through the company’s processes and expectations.
He disclosed that about 90 percent of the businesses invited to the maiden summit operate within the region, with others coming from the Upper West Region and national companies also participating.
He, however, acknowledged that some local suppliers were not yet fully equipped to meet all the company’s demands. He said CNML was prepared to support them to build their capacity and improve their ability to compete for opportunities within the mining industry.
Among the businesses participating in the summit were companies operating in hospitality, pharmaceuticals, construction, safety, banking, transportation, food and water, insurance and office supplies.
A1Radio|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Bolgatanga
