Chairman of Parliament’s Select Committee on Lands and Natural Resources, Collins Dauda, has urged the management of the Ahafo North project of Newmont Africa to prioritise heavy economic investments in the operational catchment.
The gold mining company, located in the Ahafo region, is currently about 60% complete as leadership anticipates commercial production by the close of the first half of 2025.
During a tour to the developing mining site with other members of the committee, Mr. Dauda said the host communities need to have a fair share of the socioeconomic prospects of the mine.
The Ahafo North project is the latest gold mining site of Ghana’s largest gold-producing company, Newmont Africa.
The mining project officially commenced in 2022, with commercial production expected to begin in the coming months.
It is estimated to produce between 230,000 and 300,000 ounces of gold annually, with an expected life span of 14 years.
The mine will employ at least 5,000 workers – both direct and indirect – with significant local content and 43% women participation.
Manager of the Ahafo North project of Newmont Africa, Charles Bissue, highlighted the company’s commitment to maintaining top standards.
“We are never in doubt that the success of this mine depends on the collaborative efforts between Newmont, government and our business partners. We can only continue to remain the top if we maintain excellent relationships with our partners and continue to operate with integrity and pay our taxes,” he said.
The project is currently undertaking some socioeconomic projects in its host communities, including Afrisipakrom, Yamfo, and Terchire.
Given the insurgency that has since plagued some gold mining towns like Obuasi, Parliament’s Select Committee on Lands and Natural Resources is admonishing more investments into the mine’s catchment to curtail any potential social unrest.
Chairman of the Committee, MP for Asutifi South Constituency, Collins Dauda, emphasised on facelifting the local communities of operation.
“Some of the members have traveled to Johannesburg and Denver, and they know how a mining town should be like. So the expectation of the mine is to see drastic change in the face of communities in this area,” he said.
He continued: “We don’t want Ahafo North to look like Obuasi. We don’t want it to be treated like Tarkwa. If you go to Tarkwa and drive on the roads, you begin to ask yourself, is this the Tarkwa where we have mined gold [for a long time], same as Obuasi. It cannot be”.
Meanwhile, the management of the gold company is already alarmed by the early encroachment on its lands by some illegal miners.
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