Kelvin Dushnisky showing gold bars from the first pour to President Akufo-Addo
PRESIDENT AKUFO-Addo yesterday joined the chiefs and people of Obuasi to express joy at the first pour of gold by the redeveloped Obuasi Mine of AngloGold Ashanti (AGA).
Residents of Obuasi, whose livelihoods have mainly centered on mining, went through a lot of hardship following the shutdown of the mine.
According to the President, “the shutdown of the mine brought in severe levels of hardship to the community which pre-occupation is the mine. Direct and indirect employees felt the blunt of the closure with devastating effects on businesses and companies that depended on the mine.”
He said he held a series of discussions and negotiation in fulfillment of his 2016 campaign pledge to people of Obuasi, by providing fiscal incentives for the establishment of the redevelopment project.
“You can understand my excitement for the mark of return to production and profitability of the mine, and the rest of the world, the new beginning of Obuasi which will help in spreading development across the country,” he stated.
He said he was counting on the Obuasi Mine to pull the adjoining communities out of poverty to enable them reflect the wealth their soils have generated.
Nana Addo pointed out that it was gratifying to note that beyond the appropriate contributions, the company had decided to put $2 of every ounce of gold produced into a community trust fund over the life of the mine to facilitate development projects in the local communities.
He revealed that AGA since commencement of gold production had paid a total of $250,000 dollars the trust fund, adding that whilst such funds have been impactful; the communities will benefit more when the mine returns into profitability.
The President said his government was engaging closely with the company to ensure that the Obuasi redevelopment project placed a premium on local content.
It is operating at depths of up to 1,500 and with continuous history mining dating back to 1897. The mine operations are located on a concession of approximately 201km2 and within a largely forested region occupied by 240,000 people who are mainly subsistence farmers.
AGA Group CEO, Kelvin Dushnisky said the company had achieved significant milestones since its redevelopment project.
He said AGA has spent a total of $268 million on the project, beside an amount of $216 million spent in the country.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Obuasi