Mining company brings opportunity to residents of Prestea
Local contractors in Prestea in the Western Region are reaping a fortune from a haulage business offered by mining giants, Golden Star Resources Limited (GSRL).
The benefits of the lucrative haulage business have rippled to many other residents of the area, providing them with jobs and ready market for their products.
Golden Star Bogoso/Prestea Limited (GSBPL), a subsidiary of GSRL with operations in Prestea and Bogoso, opened up this opportunity to local contractors in 2015.
The carting of rocks from mining sites to the company’s plant for processing which hitherto was done by the company has since then been the preserve of local contractors, reaping huge sums of money out of it.
Records at GSBPL and the secretariat of the local contractors show that in 2016 alone, the total value of services rendered by the local contractors was over $10 million.
The contractors organized into an association and registered under the company name: Local Contractors in Mining Services (LOCOMS), have described the venture as “extremely profitable”.
Speaking in an interview, Mr. Nicholas Teiku, Chairman of LOCOMS, said not only was the haulage business improving their living conditions but has also made residents to feel as part of GSBPL.
“This initiative has helped a lot. It has reduced drastically the tension and conflict which hitherto existed between Golden Star and the Prestea community over locals’ participation in the mining business”, he said.
“As you can see, now the company has the peace to work and the locals also have something to do to feed themselves and so the benefit is mutual”, he added.
According to Mr. Teiku, over 300 residents of Prestea are currently employed under LOCOMS including truck drivers, traffic directors and safety officers.
He said others such as petrol sellers, food vendors and landlords were also benefiting indirectly from the operations of LOCOMS, stressing that the benefits from the initiative was enormous.
He further stated that LOCOMS has also been involved in helping rehabilitate some roads in the Prestea town and the construction of a mortuary for the community.
He said LOCOMS has gained a lot of experience in its two-year engagement with GSBPL and hoped to extend its operations to other parts of the country and abroad.
He was optimistic that the local contractors would play a significant role in the Prestea underground mining operations of GSBPL which is expected to come on stream later this year.
James Quaicoe and Kofi Akapo, LOCOMS’ Technical and Safety Managers respectively, said the company would continue to strive to maintain high international standards so as to make it competitive on the global market.
On his part, the Community Relations Manager of GSBPL, Mr. Robert Gyamfi, said the haulage business opportunity offered to indigenes of the area was in line with the company’s community relations and human capacity policy.
“We want to use business solutions in building and strengthening community relations”, he said.
“We have demonstrated over the years our commitment to addressing the plight of our host communities and this is an example”, he maintained.
He, however, admonished LOCOMS to be united so as to become a shining example of local contractors in the global mining industry.
By: Marlvin-James Dadzie