The Apinto Divisional Council has criticised the development record of Gold Fields Ghana Limited in Tarkwa, describing the company’s impact on host communities as inadequate despite decades of mining operations.
The Council is now calling on the government to ensure that any proposed Ghanaian-owned mining operation adopts a shared prosperity model that gives host communities a meaningful stake in the mine. The appeal was made at a press conference in Tarkwa.
The Apinto Divisional Council says although multinational mining companies have operated on its lands for decades, the expected level of development has not been realised.
The Council singled out Gold Fields Ghana Limited, arguing that the company has failed to match the scale of mining activities with meaningful investment in the development of Apinto communities.
Following a recent tour of the mine, the Council said more than four thousand hectares of Apinto lands have been degraded, affecting farmlands, livelihoods and the welfare of indigenous residents.
While expressing support for government’s intention to establish a government -owned mine in Tarkwa, the Council insisted that the new mining arrangement must represent a clear departure from the past.
To achieve this, the Apinto Divisional Council has developed what it calls the Apinto Shared Prosperity Proposal, which it plans to submit to the Government of Ghana.
The proposal advocates a new mining model that balances the interests of the state, investors and host communities through greater participation, equity and sustainable development.
The Council’s latest position has come as a surprise to some observers, given the traditional area’s longstanding cordial relationship with Gold Fields Ghana Limited and its previous recognition of the company’s contributions through infrastructure projects, livelihood empowerment programmes and other community interventions.
Accra News Online
