Newmont boosting job opportunities in Ghana

Accra, June 14, GNA - Newmont Ghana Gold on Tuesday said its operations in the Ahafo site in the Brong Ahafo Region has provided more than 450 people with jobs in the community and that it was forging a lasting relationship with the people.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency Business Desk, on the current developments at Ahafo, where mine construction has started, Ms Mawuena Dumor, Communications Manager of Newmont, said 12 million dollars had so far been paid out to about 2,770 farmers and landowners in the concession. She explained that a team of consultants from the Department of Land Economy, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology had started holding education and compensation empowerment sessions for farmers in the areas on the relevant issues involved in compensation computations for mining concessions. She said some of the major things being examined were compensation payment for food and tree crops and other economic assets that were displaced for mining.

"We trust the system and hope that the education negotiations are all based on an objective principle of being fair to all and hope that the knowledge gained will promote better understanding." Ms Dumor said. On what additional issues the consultants from KNUST were looking at, Ms Dumor said they were examining crop compensation, legal basis for compulsory acquisition and compensation, land ownership as distinct from mineral rights ownership and overview of methods of assessing compensation.

"Other subjects include market value basis for compensation, compulsory acquisition resulting from failure of negotiations." She said Newmont was also working at establishing a mutual trust fund with the community and that the rules and regulations were being explained to all interested parties.