Business News of Friday, 30 March 2007

Source: GNA

Korean miners destroy farms at Kutukrom

Kutukrom (W/R), March 30, GNA - Hakimi, a Korean small scale mining company operating at Kutukrom near Prestea, has destroyed farms in the area without paying compensation.

A visit to the mining site showed that the office of the company is in a tent and its security office is under bamboo shed. Fura stream, which serves as a source of drinking water, has been polluted.

Kutukrom is a farming community in the Nzema East District. Prince Amoako, a farmer and a citizen of the town, said Korean company has destroyed his three-acre cocoa farm without paying compensation.

Workers who talked to GNA said the Koreans are taking undue advantage of lack of employment opportunities to under pay them. "The work is dangerous and the pay is not up to the nation's minimum wage. The company does not contribute to SSNIT."

An official of the company who gave his name as Mr. Wan and said he did not understand English told the GNA reporter to come another time because his boss one, Mr. Die, was not around.