Mining firms urged to up social responsibility

Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, has urged mining companies to be more realistic in the discharge of social responsibilities to people in their operational areas.

He suggested that the companies could reconstruct or rehabilitate roads in addition to providing other social amenities.

Mr Aidoo said this when Dr Toni Aubynn, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, paid a courtesy call on him on Thursday.

It was part of Dr Aubynn’s one-day visit to the Brong-Ahafo Region to interact with the media on the activities of the Chamber, its role and the significance of the mining industry to the economy.

Mr Aidoo appealed to mining companies to depart from community durbars, which are mostly limited to just talking, and concentrate on meeting the real needs of the communities.

He said the mining industry was performing well in the Region and appealed to mining companies that are not meeting their social responsibilities well to fulfill their obligations to the communities.

Dr Aubynn said the mining industry would continue to contribute to the economic development of the country, adding that the Chamber would also ensure that the industry made impact on communities affected by the activities of mining companies.

Dr Aubynn denied recent media reports that mining companies retained 80 per cent of mineral receipts outside the country and said that for the past five years an average of 70 per cent of mining receipts by the companies were retained in financial institutions in the country.

During an encounter with the media later, Dr Aubynn reiterated that it was unrealistic for the mining companies to keep 80 per cent of their earnings outside the country because that would make it impossible for them to operate efficiently.

He said the revenue retained in the country enabled them to pay their workers and meet other operational costs, adding “If they are not retaining greater percentage of their receipts in the country, the economy would have probably collapsed”.

Source: GNA