Goldfields Ghana Limited on Tuesday presented a cheque for one million dollars as dividend to government for the year 2001 and 2002.

The amount represents 10 per cent of the company's declared profits for its operations for the period.

Mr Mike Ezan, Executive Director of Goldfields, pledged the company's continuous commitment to honouring its obligations to the country as well as the community in which it operates.

He asked for government support for the company's operations at all times to enable it to operate in a conducive environment.

Mr Kwadjo Adjei-Darko, the Minister of Mines who received the cheque on behalf of government, asked the mining companies to adopt a co-ordinated approach to the alternative livelihood programme they were embarking on to assist the communities within which they operate.

He said it was necessary for them to liase with the local and district assemblies and the Ministry of Manpower Development in fashioning out and in implementing the alternative livelihood programmes.

"The companies can support the skills training for the youth in the area before deploying them in whatever fields they wanted them to be engaged in," he added.

Mr Adjei-Darko said government was working to ensure regular payment of royalties to minimise the community demands on mining companies operating in their areas.

As part of the efforts to ensure regular payment, royalties would be captured in the budget as a statutory item to permit timely releases of the money.