NEWMONT SUPPORTS AHAFO COMMUNITIES (GRAPHIC NSEMPA, PAGE 10)

By Akwasi Ampratwum-Mensah, Sunyani

Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL) operating the Ahafo Mine site in the Brong Ahafo Region, has initiated a partnership with five of its stakeholder communities in Ahafo to fund specific projects. Each community will receive $7,000 for its project.
Currently five communities near the mine site, Kenyasi No.One, Kenyasi No. Two, Ntotroso, Gyedu and Wamahinso, all in the Asutifi District are discussing with NGGL, and with the support of the district assembly, how the partnership arrangement will work.
Under the initiative, the community identifies a particular project and NGGL offers material support while the community and the assembly offers labour and technical support respectively.
Already the communities have identified projects for which planning wok has been done and work will begin soon.
Mr Randy Barnes, the External Affairs Manager of NGGL, who disclosed this at a press soiree in Sunyani, indicated that the company intended to start similar discussions with other communities in the Tano North and South districts on the partnership approach to community development.
According to Mr Barnes, the Ahafo linkages programme, initiated by NGGL and other organisations, was aimed at building the capacity of local businesses, maximise the business opportunities of local Micro/ Small/Medium Enterprises (MSMES) and seeking ways to increase the incomes of the communities around the mine in ways that do not necessarily depend on employment with Newmont.
Furthermore, the External Affairs Manager intimated that the programme was to support the development of local non-mining businesses to help develop a diversified local economy outside of the mining sector.
He again disclosed that in 2006, 25 local MSMFS executed 121 contracts or transactions amounting to $1,718,949.00 while in 2007, 52 local MSMFS executed 282 contracts amounting to $4,182,653.80.
Mr Barnes also indicated that, mentoring and capacity building programmes were ongoing to further develop the local businesses and that more than 200 businesses had been registered for the mentoring programme and being screened for participation over the next three years.
On illegal mining operations (Galamsey), the External Affairs Manager said his company saw it as an “industry-wide and Ghana-wide problem and does not support things done outside the law”.
Mr Barnes said, the NGGL constantly monitored the situation and where necessary, alerted the security agencies and that the company had put in place programmes to improve on agriculture in the area so that the youth could gainfully engage in that sector for a living.
He disclosed that an Ahafo Social Responsibility Forum (ASRF) had been established to enable NGGL’s operational communities to participate in and also jointly own with the company the process of discussing and implementing sustainable community development initiatives.
According to Mr Barnes, in December 2005, the company decided that $1per an ounce of gold sold and one per cent of net profit from the Ahafo Mine, would be set aside and put into a Community Development Fund (CDF) for sustainable community development.
The External Affairs Manager pointed out that the forum, formed in early 2006, discussed how the money accruing into the fund should be utilised and that the funds had been set aside in a special bank account pending the signing of the agreement and establishment of the foundation, adding, “Right now, more than $647,000 is in this fund”.
Mr Barnes and other officers of NGGL took turns to answer some questions posed by journalists.