Mining communities worry over low royalties

Mining communities in the Ashanti and Western Regions have articulated their grievance over little royalties paid as compensation for affected properties by mining companies.

Most of the communities, the paper can report, are highly infuriated about the number of indigenes these mining companies turn to employ contrary to promises of loads of jobs.

The complaints, according to the paper’s findings, are pervasive in areas were multinational companies including Anglo-Gold Ashanti (AGA), Obuasi, and Newmont Ghana Gold Company Limited (NGGCL) operate.

The affected communities argue that the excuse by the mining companies that the indigenes lack the required expertise for them to be employed is ‘flimsy’ and one that must be disregarded.

The paper gathered that problems relating to compensation and resettlement would seem to be some of the key challenges in the communities affected by mining activities in Ghana.

This is substantiated by the fact that most communities complained of requisition of their land by mining companies without compensation thereby depriving them of their sources of livelihood.

However, some of the chiefs speaking to this reporter expressed dissatisfaction with the manner in which distribution of royalties are paid to them.

Meanwhile, information gathered by Today as at the time of our visit has it that a total of GHS 538,063 representing 2.25%, GHS 1,230,450 representing 1.80% and GHS 3,383,740 representing 4.95% were paid as royalty shares to stool lands, traditional councils and metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) respectively by the mining companies.

The breakdown list of the payment, the paper chanced upon, is as follows: Tarkwa-Nsuaem and Prestea-Huni Valley (GHS 755,758, GHS 604,606 and GHS 1,662,668), Adansi West (GHS 216,053, GHS 172,842 and GHS 475,317) and Bibiani Ahwianso Bekwai (GHS 101,469, GHS 81,175 and GHS 223,232).

The rest are Asutifi and Tano North Districts (GHS 386,709, GHS 309,367 and GHS 850,760), and Mpohor Wassa East (GHS 78,074, GHS 62,459 and GHS 171,763), respectively.

STORY: FROM NANA YIADOM DANQUAH, OBUASI