The Reko Diq Mining Company has completed a Local Vendor Capacity Building Program in Nokundi, part of the company's effort to strengthen local businesses' ability to participate in procurement opportunities linked to the Reko Diq project in Balochistan's Chagai district.

The training gave local vendors practical guidance on Reko Diq's procurement procedures, helping them respond more effectively to tender requirements and compete for project-related business.

Representatives from 10 companies took part in the program's first phase, drawn from Reko Diq's Priority Area One (P1), which covers Mashkel, Nokundi, Dalbandin, Chagai, Yakmach, Taftan, and Saindak, among other towns. The company said the program will next expand to Priority Area Two (P2), covering Taftan, Saindak, Nokundi, Dalbandin, and Chagai towns, to extend the training to more local traders.

Over four days, participants were trained on Reko Diq's procurement policies, Ariba Network supplier registration and sourcing, preparing Requests for Quotation (RFQs) and bids, technical specifications, Bills of Quantities (BOQs), logistics, negotiation, invoicing, and payment procedures, along with how to review bids and correct common shortcomings. The program also included a direct Q&A session on the Reko Diq project and the supply of goods and services.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, a Reko Diq supply chain official said building a capable and sustainable local supply chain was central to the project's long-term success, and that informing Chagai-district suppliers of procurement procedures would create lasting economic opportunities.

Murtaza Baloch, a vendor representative from Nokundi, said the training had given participants clearer awareness of Reko Diq's procurement requirements and practical processes, adding that it would help vendors compete for future opportunities with more confidence.

Deputy Commissioner Chagai Mansoor Ahmed Baloch and Assistant Commissioner Taftan Abdullah Kakar visited the training session and were briefed on the program; the Deputy Commissioner appreciated Reko Diq's efforts to build local vendor capacity. Certificates were distributed to all participating vendors on completion of the program.

Reko Diq describes vendor capacity building as a core part of its local business development strategy, aimed at boosting local participation in the project's supply chain and creating sustainable economic opportunities in Chagai district during the project's development and operational phases.

Reporting based on coverage originally published by Daily Intekhab