Community relations is core to mining business

Accra, Nov 14, GNA - Mr David Kwesi Renner, the Managing Director of Anglogold Ashanti Iduapriem, has underscored the importance of community relations, saying it was the core to mining business. He said the subject was so important and accounted for about "40 per cent of managerial headaches on most mines."

Mr Renner said this when addressing the company's senior staff at a day's seminar on the relationship between the company and host communities.

It was under the theme: "Towards Strengthening of Company Relationship with Host Communities and Reducing Project Frustrations." Mr Renner said community relations with mining companies, if handled well, had the potential of translating into a win-win situation for both the mine and the community.

He expressed satisfaction with the relationship between the company and the host communities and said a remarkable impact would be made in the ensuing years.

Mr Renner appealed to employees to see themselves as ambassadors of the company, conduct themselves well and treat the community with respect and honour.

"We have all come from one community or another and are inter-dependent on each other to live."

Mr kwamena Sekyi-Yorke, Head of the Community and Public Relations, said about 450,000 dollars has been spent on road rehabilitation and construction, alternative livelihood programmes and on employment in the form of contract jobs for the host communities this year. "We will continue to support the communities in diverse ways to better their livelihood," he said.

In a related development Mr Ketiboa Blay, an International Finance Corporation Specialist (IFC) in Social Development, has commended the company for showing greater commitment to social responsibility. Mr Blay, who was on a fact finding visit to the mine, said he was impressed with the surfacing of the Teberebie road, repairs of bore holes and interactions with the traditional authorities especially the Omanhene and elders of the Wassa Fiase Traditional Area. "This is my second time coming here and am happy with the development I have seen", he said.

Anglogold Ashanti has spent about 300,000 dollars on Alternative Livelihood Programmes and about 100,000 dollars for community road construction and rehabilitations this year.

Youths in the host communities are being employed on contract and casual basis. The IFC is a shareholder of the Anglogold Ashanti Iduapriem.