Goldfields holds consultative meeting to plan for development projects

Tarkwa (W/R) June 20, GNA- Goldfields Ghana Limited has held its annual Quantity Consultative Committee meeting in Tarkwa, to assess how to sustain development projects it undertakes in its catchment communities during the 2009 financial year. The meeting brought together stakeholders including chiefs, the district assemblies, officials from the Ministry of food and Agriculture and farmers. They discussed the progress of work of some 25 projects.

The Community and Public Relations Manager, Mr Steve Yirenkyi told the meeting that projects completed include three wells at New Atuabo, Brahabobom and Samanhu, Abekoase fish pond and farm project, rehabilitation of Samanhu-Pepesa road and Akoon sanitation programme. The rest are the construction of a primary block for Akoon Anglican School and rehabilitation of Tebe roads. He said the main areas of assessment are education, infrastructural development, health and community development.

On education, Mr Yirenkyi said besides putting up a lot of school buildings in and around the catchment area, the company also assisted the University of Mines and Technology to construction a geological engineering laboratory and the provision of facilities for the information Communication and Technology Centre at Goldfields Ghana School Complex. Moreover, a total of 130 students are being sponsored by Goldfields at various levels of education to equip them with the necessary skills for the job market.

Mr Yirenkyi said the total cost of the projects stood at 1.8 million dollars and since the company's financial year had ended it would have to start planning for projects in the coming year. The Well- being Programmes Officer of Goldfields Ms Yaa Afriyia Mawunu noted that the company has organised health fairs in the catchment communities and established Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centres. She said as a result of the various health education programmes undertaken by the company, more people visited the AIDS/HIV Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centre.

Ms Mawunu said by the end of May, this year a total number of 830 clients had visited the Centre as compared to 420 during the same period last year. The Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality Chief Executive, Mrs Christiana Cobbinah thanked Goldfields for the immense contribution towards the development of the Municipality and appealed for more projects in the coming years.