By Erica Apeatua Addo, GNA
Tarkwa (W/R), Aug 28, GNA – Hundreds of residents in Tarkwa and its surroundings communities in the Western Region have staged a peaceful demonstration to back the renewal of the Gold Fields Ghana Limited (GFGL) Tarkwa mining leases which will expire in April 2027.
The demonstration, dubbed “Gold Fields Must Stay” was led by Mr. Richard Nsor, Assembly member of New Atuabo electoral area.
The demonstrators marched through the principal streets of Tarkwa carried placards with the inscription “Tarkwa without Gold Fields will be in crisis”, “Prez Mahama please listen to us”, “Renegotiate the Gold Fields deal”, “No more SGMC”, “Remember Damang road”, “Is TnA stadium not enough” among others.
Addressing the media, Mr. Richard Nsor, the Lead Petitioner said one of the most compelling reasons for supporting the continuation of the Tarkwa Mine was its record of employment from its host communities.
He said per Gold Fields 2024 operational information, Tarkwa recorded 568 employees and 5,092 contractors, with 71 per cent employed from its host communities.
He stated that as representative of host communities, comprising assembly members, unit committees and youth association executives, they could confidently confirm the statistics were true, having been directly involved in the company’s host community employment process together with the chiefs.
Mr. Nsor explained that behind the percentage were thousands of individuals and families whose livelihoods were directly or indirectly linked to mining.
He disclosed that salaries earned at the Mine circulated through the Tarkwa economy in areas such as housing, transportation, food, education, healthcare, retail activities, and services.
“No mining company in Ghana pays better salaries to its Ghanaian workers at Gold Fields and the entire community benefits from these high wages that local owners of Mines and mining contracts fail to pay” Mr. Nsor added.
He said the benefits extended beyond direct employment, as contractors and suppliers employed additional Ghanaians, while the spending power generated by the Mine supported businesses that had no contractual relationship with Gold Fields.
The lead petitioner pointed out that a Mine that had demonstrated the capacity to localise such a substantial proportion of its workforce deserved serious consideration for continued operation, subject to compliance with the laws of Ghana.
The group also made several demands, including the call on the government to consider the more than US$110 million the Foundation had reportedly invested in infrastructure, education, enterprise development, health, training, and other social programmes serving the Tarkwa and Damang host communities.
They also asked the government to consider the company’s environmental-management and rehabilitation record, including its long-standing ISO 14001 certification, progressive rehabilitation expenditure, and tree planting programmes, while maintaining stringent environmental conditions under any renewed lease.
The group called on the government to use the renewal negotiations as an opportunity to obtain stronger commitments to host-community employment, procurement, skills transfer, community development, environmental rehabilitation, and local enterprise development.
Receiving the petition, Mr. Ebenezer Kwabena Yeboah, the Presiding Member of Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality, promised to submit the petition to the appropriate authorities on their behalf.
Gold Fields submitted a comprehensive application for renewal of its five Tarkwa mining leases in November 2025.
The leases are due to expire in April 2027. The company is seeking an extension that would allow the Tarkwa operation to continue beyond the existing lease period
GNA
Edited by Justina Hilda Paaga/George-Ramsey Benamba
Reporter Erica Apeatua Addo
[email protected]