Newmont Golden Ridge 9Newmont Ghana b says it will continue to respect and work with traditional authorities to follow established cultural norms and practices for dealing with the issues of cemeteries located within Yayaaso community.  The company, which has come under attack recently for allegedly disrespecting the norms and values of the Birem traditional area said in a statement issued last week that it has not exhumed any human remains, relocated any mausoleum or culturally significant sites within its concession area, assuring its host communities that, it will continue to transparently and collaboratively engage with them with honesty, trust and respect.

Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday commended Goldfields International for their capacity building programmes for all indigenous companies engaged in the gold industry. “We are also grateful for your immense contribution towards the success story of Ghana Black Stars in global football.”

Vice President Mahama gave this commendation when three Board members of Goldfield International called on him at the Castle, Osu.  The members, who are currently holding their international board meeting in Accra, took time to interact with government officials and to fine-tune some of their business engagements with Ghanaian companies.

The Ultrasonic Meter (flow meter) on the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah has been successfully installed by a team of engineers of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and Tullow Ghana, one of the operators of the Jubilee Field.

Ghana became an oil producing country seven months ago, and concerns have been raised as to how the production of the black gold would influence Ghana's foreign interest and its relations with its development partners. However, President John Evans Atta Mills has assured the world that, Ghana's status as an oil producing country would not lead to a shift in its foreign policy but would continue to be guided by the provisions of the 1992 Constitution.

Mineral exports have for many years played an important role in the economy of Ghana and the sector has over the last two decades been one of the key targets of policy reforms in the country. The policy reforms have been predicated on a growing contention about the contribution of the natural resource sector to national economic development. On the one hand, the natural resource sector has been hailed as the key pillar to Ghana's economic recovery and growth.

The Institute of Economic Affairs has called on the government to ensure transparency in the collection, disbursement and use of petroleum revenues. This, the Institute said could be achieved by making public all the documentation that form part of the oil bidding and licensing processes, as well as committing to an open and participatory planning and budgeting in advancing the country's development agenda.

For Ghana to derive the best from its mineral resources the Chief Executive of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Dr. Joyce Aryee is advocating the creation of a national vision to guide the use of these resources. This vision, she said, would tie the country to a definite objective for which it wants to apply the proceeds from the natural resources.

Bishop Akologo, Executive Director of 1SODEC has recognized that endowments such as oil and gas make Ghana one of the few nations presented with the opportunity to leverage the natural resources to achieve a quantum in economic development.

The Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI) has assured the citizenry of international standards to well position Ghana in the oil and gas industry. Mr Assibit Philip Akpeena, Managing Consultant of MDPI told a media interaction in Accra at the weekend, that a growing concern among the public about the pace of the oil and gas training programme jointly undertaken by MDPI and the Goodwill International Group (GIG).

Newmont Ahafo Mine at Kenyase, in the Asutifi District of the Brong Ahafo Region, has targeted to increase its annual gold production to 1.2 million ounces by the year 2014. Mr Kojo Bedu-Addo, the External Affairs Manager of the Company, said this would be achieved after the start of their underground operations.