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22.12.2021 Business & Finance

Newmont injects additional $300,000 annually towards community development in Ahafo

Newmont injects additional 300,000 annually towards community development in Ahafo
22.12.2021 LISTEN

Newmont Ghana Gold Limited says it is injecting $300,000 annually towards “cross-community development initiatives" to further drive infrastructural projects in its host communities in Ahafo.

This is in addition to the Newmont Ahafo Development Foundation (NADeF) through which the company, since its operations in July 2007, commits $1.00 per ounce of gold mined and 1% of its annual pre-tax profit to undertake various projects in its ten host communities as part of its corporate social responsibility.

“Beyond these contributions that we’ve been making, we’re committed to add $300,000.00 annually to help the communities drive cross-community projects”, Samuel Osei, Head of Communications and External Relations of Newmont Ahafo said at a meeting with the media in Sunyani recently.

He explained that even though each community was entitled to a share of NADeF to roll-out its own project, it was also imperative for two or more communities to embark on joint projects which would inure to their mutual benefit.

“Cross-community projects are projects that would be own by all the communities and so this additional $300,000.00 per year go to support that”, he added.

“Beyond that we have also allocated 40% of NADeF Endowment Fund to undertake extra cross-community projects and 30% to complete all on-going projects.”

Mr. Osei also announced that Newmont has secured EPA permit to begin its Ahafo North mining project as the company’s Board of Directors has already approved nearly $800 million for its smooth take-off soon.

“The Ahafo North project is Newmont’s third investment in Ghana after the Ahafo South and the Akyem mines. The project is part of the Normandy concession secured by Newmont in 2002…. Now we’re ready to roll with the Ahafo North project, which is going to be a fresh mine that we’re building from the scratch.”

According to him, the project would present opportunities for employment, investment and several others to the people of the area and beyond.

He also said about 168 construction workers mostly from the host communities will be engaged during the construction stage of the project while some 550 permanent staff also stand to be employed by the mine.

He noted that the Ghana Highway Authority is leading discussions at the newly formed Highway Diversion Consultative Committee to fine-tune modalities for the diversion of the main Sunyani-Kumasi highway at Terchire.

On how the company have had to cope with covid-19, he said a lot of the staff have been working from their homes as a way of decongesting various offices

“First of all, we ensured that we reduced exposure by letting our employees who could work from home do so and so a very significant number of our employees have been working from home for a very long time. This created space in our offices so we had to rearrange the seating of our people to ensure that there wasn’t a constant interaction among ourselves.”

He added that all meetings are now held on the virtual space as against the traditional way of meeting on a one-on-one basis.

Mr. Osei further said the company in collaboration with KCCR has built a PCR laboratory to expedite covid-19 tests in the company’s operational areas in Akyem and Ahafo at the cost of about Gh.c 2,000,000.00.

Richard Kofi Boahen
Richard Kofi Boahen

Bono, Bono East and Ahafo CorrespondentPage: RichardBoahen

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