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The Ahafo North project is Newmont Corporation’s third major mining investment in Ghana after its Ahafo South and Akyem mines. The project is located in the town of Sunyani, about 380 kilometers northwest of the capital city of Accra.
Located some 50 kilometers north of the existing Ahafo South mine, the Ahafo project was part of the overall Ahafo lease which was acquired from Normandy Mining in 2002.
From an initial investment of USD800M, Newmont has so far invested over USD$1.3BN into the Ahafo North project which is expected to produce between 275K-325K ounces of gold per year within an estimated 13-year mine life. The project is expected to generate about 1,800 jobs at the construction phase and 550 direct jobs during operation. It is also expected to further improve Newmont’s contribution to Ghana’s revenue generation through taxes, royalties, fees, and community development.
In developing the Ahafo North Project, Newmont has adopted a collaborative approach to ensure that stakeholder interests and inputs are incorporated at every stage of the project development. Aside from the regulatory commitments, the company in collaboration with government, national, and community stakeholders has established engagement platforms to regularly deliberate, update, negotiate, and receive feedback to advance the collective interest of all parties.
Stakeholder engagements are scheduled quarterly, monthly, or on an ad hoc basis to ensure all opinions are heard, addressed, and incorporated into business decisions, where necessary. Some of these engagement platforms include the Crop Rate Negotiations Committee (CRNC), Resettlement Negotiation Committee (RNC), and a Social Responsibility Forum (SRF) among others. A Complaints and Grievance Mechanism has also been established to manage all stakeholder concerns.
So far, Newmont Africa has successfully compensated over 2,500 Project Affected People (PAPs).
· Crops
· Structures (immovable properties)
· Deprivation of Land Use (DLU)
Resettlement Update.
The Resettlement Negotiation Committee was formed to ensure effective stakeholder participation in the processes leading to the resettlement of Project Affected People (PAPs). All necessary agreement has been reached.
The site for the resettlement and its scheme has been approved by the appropriate municipal and legal authorities and gazette. Additionally, resettlement housing designs have been completed and are undergoing the requisite review for final approval. As part of measures to ensure local-local participation and compliance with the Minerals Commission’s local content plan, Newmont has commenced tendering for resettlement Civil and earthwork for local contractors. The bidding process is ongoing. – Joseph Danso, Sustainability & External Relations Manager – Ahafo North Project.
The Ahafo North Project is expected to create about 1,800 jobs during the construction phase and 550 direct jobs during operation. Newmont local employment is guided by the Employment Agreement signed between the company and its progressively recruit up to 53% of its workforce from the immediate host communities.
Additionally, the Ahafo North project has established a number of skills development opportunities for locals to help them gain access to employable skills and potential job opportunities within and outside Newmont. Some of these programs include:
· Construction worker training Programme
· Apprenticeship Training Programme
· Soft Skills and Curriculum Vitae Training
Creating Opportunities through Local Procurement.
Newmont will continue to build the capacity of local businesses and create employment opportunities in its host communities for business continuity through the introduction and implementation of programmes like the Enhanced Local Procurement Programme (ELPP) and other local content opportunities.
Source : KayOne Genesis Radio News Reporter
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