GOLDEN Star (Wassa Mine) Limited has spent a total of US$500,000 on community projects on education, water and sanitation for the people in its area of operation.
The General Manager of Golden Star (Wassa Mine), Mr Neale Laffin announced this at the inauguration of a US$ 81,000 16-seater aqua privy public place of convenience for the people of Mpohor in the Mpohor Wassa East District in the Western Region.
He said the company had spent over US$150,000 on various development projects at Mpohor alone.
Mr Laffin mentioned some of the projects as the dislodging of seven different heaps of waste dumps at Mpohor in an environmentally friendly way, the disinfecting of all domestic water wells, the mechanisation of water systems and the construction of the 16-seater aqua privy public place of convenience.
Mr Laffin said Golden Star Resources, the mother company paid US$ 6,695,796 in royalties to the government within the first two quarters of this year, out of which Golden Star (Wassa Mine) paid US$ 3,412,471.
“This we believe will assist the government and its functionaries to bend easily towards communities from which the resources were taken and put up more infrastructure for their development,” he said.
The general manager stated that the company had also provided scholarships to 42 brilliant, needy students in second-cycle educational institutions, adding that 35 more students would join the scheme this academic year.
To address the issue of employment of local community members, he said the company had initiated a youth apprenticeship training programme in employable skills development in masonry, carpentry and mobile phone repairs.
Mr Laffin said 60 youth across the company’s three operational sites would benefit when it takes off this month at Ningo, near Benso in the district.
He said the Golden Star Oil Palm Plantation Project was growing strong and that the company had spent US$ 2,586,362 on about 790 hectares and 411 associated contract workers.
According to Mr Laffin, Golden Star (Wassa Mine) by policy was committed to being a part of the community in which it operated by maintaining and building strong community relationships.
He said those relationships were based on mutual respect and recognition of each others’ rights along with an active partnership and long term commitment to the betterment of the community.
The District Chief Executive for Mpohor Wassa East, Mr Anthony Bassaw, appealed to the company to expand its scholarship scheme to cover more students in its communities.
He also urged the company to assist the Mpohor Wassa East District Assembly to provide Mpohor a deserving market.
The paramount chief of Mpohor Traditional Area, Osabarima Kwaw Entsie, also enjoined the company to construct a hostel for the Mpohor Senior High School.
He urged the company to find a lasting solution to the high level of blasting over which people in the area had expressed serious concern.
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