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06.12.2017 Regional News

Newmont Cleans Up Birim North District

By Kwasi Frimpong, New Abirem   
Newmont Cleans Up Birim North District
06.12.2017 LISTEN

Newmont Ghana’s Akyem Mine has stepped in to assist the Birim North District Assembly clear piles of refuse recently accumulated in communities within it's catchment area.

The gesture was in response to an appeal made to the company by the Chiefs in the communities.

Since September of this year, the Birim North District Assembly has been unable to pay for the cost of lifting and cleaning of waste bins in the community due to funding issues.

Newmont had previously contracted Zoom Lion In 2012, under a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Newmont, the District Assembly and Zoom Lion for the lifting of these waste bins. The MOU, which expired in September 2015 was signed in line with Newmont’s commitment to support the communities within which they operate.

The District Assembly has, since the expiration of the MOU, continued the service until its recent funding issues.

“We needed to step in and support once again after our attention was drawn to the deplorable sanitation situation in the communities over the last two months” said Joep Coenen, General Manager of the Akyem Mine.

Following further discussions with the Chiefs in the communities and the District Assembly, Newmont also pledged to pay for all the arrears owed Zoom Lion for the lifting of the waste bins by the Assembly over the past one year - from November 2016 till date.

The company will continue the payments until end of year, which should afford the District Assembly time to regroup and resume the service in January of 2018.

The Chief of Abirem and the President of the Birim North Chiefs Association, Obrempong Kwasi Amo Kyeretwie I, on behalf of all the Chiefs has expressed his gratitude to Newmont. He urged the District Assembly to put in place concrete measures to be able to resume the service efficiently next year.

The District Chief Executive Hon. Ramond Damptey on his part expressed his appreciation of the gesture and requested that Newmont consider supporting the Assembly in the management of the Engineered Landfill facility constructed and donated by Newmont in 2013.

“We appreciate Newmont’s support to the Birim North District and remain committed to partnering with the company in the development of the communities within the Mine’s footprint. Newmont has had a good collaborative relationship with the Birim North District Assembly and its communities since the inception of the Mine." He said.

Various social intervention projects and programmes have been accomplished through collaboration between Newmont and the District Assembly with the strong support of the Chiefs in the area. Notable among these are education, health, water, sanitation, and security projects.

Through the Newmont Akyem Development Foundation (NAkDeF) the Company has driven key socio-economic development projects within its Akyem host communities. The Foundation is community owned and driven through a well-structured governance system. The Company funds the Foundation by contributing US$ 1 per ounce of gold sold and 1% of its annual pre-tax profits to the Foundation. From its commencement of commercial production in November 2013 till date, Newmont has contributed close to $7Million to the Foundation. These funds are being used to address critical socio-economic needs such as scholarships to students in senior high and tertiary institutions and key infrastructural projects in the area of education, health, water, cultural heritage, sanitation, security, etc.

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