A United States mining company, Newmont Mining Corporation, is to invest $450 million in the mining sector in the next four years. The Company would operate on the surface gold mining belt between Yamfo and Kenyasi in the Brong-Ahafo Region and the Eastern region.

The operation, expected to begin this year would employ about 900 people. Vice President of the Company, W. Durand Eppler, said this when he led a four-man delegation to pay a courtesy call on President John Agyekum Kufuor at the Castle, Osu.

Mr Eppler said the company will practice global environmental management, create jobs, train the youth and develop communities within its area of operation. It would also participate in an Investment Forum on Ghana being organized by the Ghana Embassy in the United States in March this year because of the good cooperation it had with the country.

President Kufuor said the government needed good corporate citizenship with all investors in the country. "We want strategic partners to develop the communities where they operate for the benefit of the people."

Finance Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo appealed to investors, especially mining companies, to transact business with the local banks instead of only the foreign banks.