Abekoase (W/R), Aug.04, GNA - Mr Anthony Evans Amoah, Western Regional Minister on Friday stressed the need for collaboration between the Government, private sector and stakeholders to enable Ghana become a middle-income economy and achieve targets of the Millennium Development Goals.
He made the call when inaugurating eleven community development projects estimated at about two billion cedis undertaken by Management of Tarkwa Mine of Goldfields Ghana Limited in eight of its stakeholder communities at Abekoase near Tarkwa.
The projects sponsored under the Goldfields Foundation Trust Fund were, rehabilitated Tebe road, Samahu-Huniso-Pepesa road, Brahabebome road as well as Abekoase-Camp 43 road.
Others were five hand-dug wells fitted with pumps at Pepesa and Abonpuni, four at New Atuabo, Teachers' quarters at Abekoase, a place of convenience at Green Compound School and a restaurant and a computer centre for GFG School Complex.
Mr Amoah said the Sustainable Community Empowerment and Economic Development (SEED) programme of Goldfields Ghana Limited would complement government's efforts to improve the living standards of rural dwellers.
"The SEED programme seeks to provide an alternative means of livelihood through sustainable agriculture, animal production, agro-processing and assistance to small-scale farmers," he added. Mr Amoah said Goldfields Ghana Limited was a good corporate organization that was assisting communities where it operated.
He expressed concern about many mining companies engaged in conflicts with communities where they operated from non-compliance with terms agreed by parties, mistrust and misunderstanding.
Mr Amoah announced that to complement government's development efforts, the Western Regional Coordinating Council was negotiating with Municipal and District assemblies in the region to provide accommodation for teachers in deprived areas.
Mr Johan Botha, General Manager, Tarkwa Mine of Goldfields Ghana Limited, said the company had spent over 48 billion cedis on development projects since its establishment in 2002.
He said the company was implementing the SEED programme in partnership with Opportunities Industrialization Centre International. Mr Botha said the company was currently undertaking a study on the feasibility of the establishment of a Palm Oil Mill in the area and expected to spend about 20 million cedis when feasible.
Dr Toni Aubynn, Manager of Goldfields Ghana Limited, in-charge of Corporate Affairs and Sustainable Development, said the company, Newmont Ghana and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) had signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) to usher in the Ghana Responsible Mining Alliance.
He said objectives of the alliance included, strengthening of democratic local governance in district assemblies as well as enhancing economic opportunities through the private sector in Wassa West District.
