By Erica Apeatua Addo
Ahwetieso (W/R), Feb 11, GNA-AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine, has been applauded for adopting best industry standards in its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects.
The company’s commitment to CSR has been recognized by the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal Assembly, local communities, Friends of the Nation (FoN), traditional leaders, Ghana Education Service (GES), Ghana Health Service (GHS), Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), women and youth groups
Mr Benjamin Owusu, Assistant Municipal Development Planning Officer for Tarkwa Nsuaem, said the assembly as part of its mandate to ensure effective implementation of projects and programmes conducted monitoring of all projects undertaken across the municipality in November 2024.
He said to ensure inclusiveness and sustainability, the assembly in partnership with FoN, a socio-environmental advocacy Non-Governmental Organization, organized a stakeholder meeting to share its findings on projects funded by AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine to its key stakeholders.
The team went to Bogrekrom, Adieyie, Tamso and New Mankessim communities, where they monitored projects such the construction of police quarters, piggery farm, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and six-unit classroom block.
Mr Owusu said best practices the team identified in projects executed by the Mine were inclusivity, transparency and accountability, high community participation, gender sensitivity and equity, adoption of best standards and addressing socio-environmental impacts
On adoption of best standards, he said “the monitoring team noted the implementation of high-quality infrastructure and practices, which aligned with global best practices in project management and execution. This focus on quality ensures that the project have a lasting, positive impact on the community.”
The company demonstrated a productive approach to gender inclusion, with particular focus on women, for instance, eight out of 10 beneficiaries of the piggery project were women, highlighting the company’s emphasis on empowering women in the local economy.
Additionally, “gender-sensitive infrastructure such as separate toilets for boys and girls, and a changing room for schoolchildren, reflects the company’s commitment to fostering gender equity. The inclusion of these features at schools and health care facilities further illustrates the company’s sensitivity to gender needs in its CSR projects.”
He advised that to help sustain CSR projects for future generations, management committees should be established as soon as projects are completed and handed over to the beneficiary community.
To Iduapriem Mine, Mr Owusu stated that they should develop a five-year monitoring plan for the projects they have constructed for any community and also ensure they hand over projects to the appropriate institutions.
He said the Assembly would ensure proper supervision and co-ordination during project implementation and that projects they received were properly maintained.
Mr Williams Augustine Denkyi, Project Officer of FoN, on his part lauded Iduapriem Mine for initiating projects that benefited not only their catchment communities, added that, “Although the Mine is doing well, but discussions from its stakeholders also reveals they can do better.”
He, therefore, entreated the Mine to collaborate more with the management of the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal Assembly and involve the various departments within the Assembly.
Mr Denkyi charged the Mine to hold the assembly accountable because once they handed over projects to them, they were assisting to develop the municipality, hence they needed to hold meetings to know the state of their projects.
Mr Daniel Kwame Okyere, Chair of Ghana Federation of the Disabled (GFD), at Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality, thanked the management of Iduapriem Mine for constructing disabled walkways and washrooms of international standards for PWD’s at Tamso Anglican Basic School,
He appealed to corporate institutions and the assembly to emulate the gesture.
GNA