Among some of the steps are that, the mining giant, is making a case for a new Stability Agreement with government at its Iduapriem Mine in Tarkwa as the current deal nears expiration by the end of the year.
A conveyor belt and crusher at the one of Anglogold Mine
AngloGold is, however, confident of securing a new deal with government.
Senior Manager for Sustainability at AngloGold’s Iduapriem Mine, Emmanuel Baidoo said they are looking forward to it and hope that government also accepts to extend the agreement.
He said this is “because it sets the basic parameters where expectations are very well defined and you wouldn’t want to invest in an environment where there is probably a high level of uncertainty.”
This, he explained, gives confidence to people who want to invest in the economy and for government, it sets out the basic requirement or basic expectation within the period that one expects the people who have signed onto the agreement would deliver.
Mr. Baidoo explained that regarding complaints about the Agreement adding more taxes to potential investors, “It is not the agreement per say but rather the negotiations that go into it.”
A Stability Agreement provides mining firms some reliefs in tax and royalty payment to government so it enables them to undertake major development projects in the communities they operate in.
Meanwhile, a 15-member committee has been inaugurated to spearhead the eviction of illegal small-scale miners from the 273 Sq km concession of AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) within a month.
Those to be evicted are to be assisted to regularise their operations with the Minerals Commission and relocated to the land apportioned to licensed small-scale miners at Obuasi.
AngloGold Ashanti relinquished 60 per cent of its original 633 Sq km concession for allocation to licensed small-scale miners.
So far, 70 illegal mining groups have been identified to be assisted to legalise their operations with the commission.
The committee is headed by Mr Kwaku Frimpong Kumah from the Office of the President, with three representatives each of the commission, the Small-Scale Miners Association and AGA.
Also on the committee are two representatives of the Obuasi Municipal Assembly, one each from the Ghana Chamber of Mines, the Obuasi District Police Command and the Adansi Traditional Council.
Inaugurating the committee in Obuasi last week, the Director of Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Commission, Mr Richard Kofi Afenu, said the government was sending a clear signal of its commitment to assist investors in resolving challenges encountered in the course of their operations.
He said in collaboration with the Minerals Commission, the committee would develop and implement a road map to ensure the peaceful exit of the unlicensed small-scale miners to the demarcated areas within the lease area surrendered by AGA.
He said among the four-point mandate, the committee was also to assist in the formation of small-scale mining cooperatives to enable them to apply for small-scale mining concessions in the surrendered area.
The Municipal Chief Executive of Obuasi, Mr Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, used the occasion to correct the wrong notion held by a section of the public that the government was backing the activities of the unlicensed miners.
He said there was a combined team of police and military officers protecting the concession of AGA.
Source: Adnan Adams Mohammed
