GTV BREAKFAST SHOW NEWSPAPER REVIEW
MODERATOR : KWAME WAJA
PANELISTS :RICHARD QUARSHIGAH
KEN NUNOO
The government has approved the merger between Anglogold and Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC). The approval followed the government’s support for the decision of the board of Ashanti to recommend the revised proposal of Anglogold instead of Randgold’s revised proposal. – The Daily Graphic
Richard - Anglogold has won the bid because of the confidence Ashanti Goldfields Company has in that UK mining company. Government is supporting AGC to make that choice. The media has thus wasted its time and energy supporting and campaigning for Randgold. The media quarrels and insults between Randgold and Anglogold should stop now because the UK company has won the bid to promote investment in Ashanti. AGC has got the engineers and expertise to handle its job at Obuasi, so I don’t think we need a merger.
Ken - Societ? Generale has advised AGC and the NPP government to accept the Anglogold bid because they have experienced men in the mining business AGC is desperately looking for money so Anglogold should provide all the capital for gold production and expansion programme.
Richard - Randgold is a powerful multi-national mining company. We can instil productivity and expansion in Obuasi by establishing a partnership with Randgold in future. We should not abandon or reject it altogether.
Pratt - Hon. Kwabena Agyepong has too much confidence in AGC. The people are afraid of the exploitation and dominance of AGC, in future. Government should not accept that deal but allow the people’s interest to prevail in the company. Many people are opposed to the sale of shares and there are some people in the NPP government who don’t like that agreement.
Nana - AGC Board has taken a decision to do business with Anglogold and government has given its approval. We must be patient and allow business to start progressively. The Press Secretary’s statement is not a statement by government on AGC so I may not accept some of his comments. I think most Ghanaians are sentimental and emotional on Societ? Generale’s advice to government to accept Anglogold.
GEORGE GADO
Rose - Ghanaians are anxious about the benefits they will gain from Anglogold and AGC agreement. We should first protect our environment and living conditions of the people. As a generation of people, we should not sell all our assets to Anglogold for cash. The living conditions of the people and the environment are very important.
George - The issue is technical and we should do analysis of AGC’s profitability in the future. No decisions will be taken in UK because AGC is just a subsidiary company of Anglogold. We should allow more time for people to understand the pros and cons of the merger to enable civil society to approve of it.
Fuseini - The president should help the people to develop the salt production in Songhor Salt Project. We should not allow the Brazilian government or company to establish a company in this country. They will take away the profit from salt production.
Rose - The president has taken the mandate to rule this nation, so he has the right and responsibility to protect the Songhor Salt Project for the inhabitants. This will create more jobs for the people.
George - We should not allow all Brazilian companies to take over the Songhor Salt Project. They may exploit the salt resource and take the profit away.