Newmont says it will be socially responsible

Koforidua, Dec 21, GNA - The Newmont Akyem Project in the Birim North District has completed negotiations with 12 out of 14 communities for crop compensation in its concession area. Negotiations with New Abirem and Hwaekwae are still on-going, Mr Robin Budden, the Manager of Operations of the company, said at a media soiree for Eastern Region Environment and Economic Journalists at Koforidua on Tuesday.

He said despite the uncertainty of its status, the company had embarked on some projects in some of the communities and has spent over 135 million cedis on them.

Mr Budden said the company, which is building a 300,000-dollar communication tower at New Abirem, has provided Mamaso with a school building, a water pump at Ntronang, connected electricity to Yayaso and renovated the Adausena Community Centre, school blocks at Hwaekwae and New Abirem as well as a place of convenience at Afosu. The company is offering financial management training to beneficiaries of crop compensation to enable them to use the amount judiciously.

Mr Budden said the company donated 500 litters of fuel and 5 million cedis to support the Polio Immunisation Programme and is collaborating with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to boost hybrid plantain suckers.

The company is training six local block makers to meet the competence required for the construction of houses when the resettlement of communities comes up for implementation. Ms Mawuena Dumor, the Communications Manager, said the company appreciated the cordial relationship between it and stakeholders in the operational area.

She said the company would demystify mining and would be socially responsibility to the communities in its concession area. Ms Dumor expressed concern about the activities of illegal gold miners and lately an unlicensed mining company within its concession and called on the authorities to check the trend.