02:44 a.m. Jul 28, 1999 Eastern

LONDON, July 28 (Reuters) - Ghana's Ashanti Goldfields said on Wednesday its group earnings had risen six percent to $16.4 million in the second quarter to June 30, 1999.

The company said it would take an exceptional charge of $10 million in the current quarter to cover the cost of its plan to reduce its workforce by 2,000. The company is cutting the jobs at its main Obuasi mine because of the fall in gold prices.