Goldfields Hands Over Clinic And Nurses Quarters To Community

Management of Goldfields Ghana Foundation, has constructed a clinic and nurses quarters at a total cost of 243,500 dollars for the people of Bompieso a farming and mining community in the Western Region. The people would no longer travel for long distance to access health care. Mr. Alfred Baku, executive vice president/head of Goldfields West Africa operations, handed over the keys of the projects to the community at an inaugural ceremony at Bompieso in the Prestea Huni/Valley District. He said from 2002 to date, the Damang and Tarkwa operations of Goldfields have spent 25, 96 million dollars on community development projects, out which 1.76 million dollars have gone into the provision of health infrastructure. Mr. Baku explained that the Foundation was established by the Goldfields group of companies in Ghana with a commitment to contribute towards the socio-economic growth of the country. The executive vice president said funds accruing from the foundation fell short due to the increasing cost of producing precious metals with the dwindling price of the commodity on the world market. This resulted in the suspension of programs and projects that were scheduled to be carried out in 2013. Mr. Baku said managements of the two operations have been granted approval to direct all proceeds from the sale of scrap metals into the Foundation to make up for the shortfall in revenue. He said all projects, previously earmarked for 2012 and 2013, would be re-visited and implemented for the mutual benefit of both the company and its host communities. The Member of Parliament for Prestea Huni/Valley, Mr. Francis Kwesi Adu-Blay Koffie, commended Goldfields for the immense contributions it has made towards the development of the communities in which it operates. Mr. Koffie called on the management of Goldfields to help reduce unemployment in the district, by releasing part of their vacant lands to the minerals commission for allocation to interested people to go into small-scale mining. The chief of Bompieso, Nana Atta Brempong the second, expressed gratitude to the management of the Foundation for the gesture, and assured the company of the proper maintenance of the facilities .