Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, said the Government would on Tuesday, January 14, hold discussions with management of Anglogold Ashanti on the future of the Obuasi Mine.
Briefing the press after a two-day working visit to the mine at obuasi, the Minister said the meeting would assist both parties to know whatever intervention the mine needed from Government to address its challenges.
The Minister, accompanied by seven officials from the Ministry, visited the mine to know at first hand the myriad of challenges facing it.
Alhaji Fuseini said the Obuasi Mine had tremendous potential and that all efforts should be made to make the mine profitable.
He said: “It is an important mine in the country contributing to the improvement of communities and the nation at large”.
The Minister, however, said the Obuasi Mine needed to be restrategised to help address the production challenges it was facing since the mine was not posting profit in its operations.
Alhaji Fuseini said illegal mining activities posed huge problems to the environment with many water bodies being polluted, adding “unplanned and unregulated small scale mining is like armed robbery.”
He said Government was committed to fighting the menace in the mining industry to bring sanity.
Mr Macombe, Senior Vice President of Anglogold Ashanti admitted that the mine was facing challenges including decline in production.
He said Tuesday's meeting would consider a number of options to improve the situation in the mine which had potential mine-life of over 20 years.
