Newmont Golden Ridge Limited Akyem Project is to move into full mining operations next year.

The company has therefore encouraged all its stakeholders, especially the local communities to continue to demonstrate their support for the Project as they build a viable and sustainable Project.

Mr Oduro-Kwarteng Marfo, External Relations Manager, Environment and Social Responsibility, Akyem Project, announced this at an annual get-together held in Koforidua for media personnel in the Eastern Region.

The soiree which saw journalists from the Ghana News Agency (GNA) picking several awards, afforded the media personnel to have full interactions with management of the company.

Mr Oduro-Kwarteng said the year under review had seen vast improvements in infrastructure development in the areas of water and sanitation, health, education and security of the Project communities through tripartite approach to community development with the Birim North District Assembly and the communities.

He said they had always made their intentions clear, saying “That is, to leave the communities in which we operate better off than we came to meet them”.

Mr Oduro-Kwarteng added that they would continue to do all they could to ensure the trust and confidence of the people through their words and most importantly their actions.

“The many Akyem Project stakeholders, which include local government, communities, and Newmont, had chosen the path of consultation, dialogue, partnership, and collaboration as the basis of building a relationship based on mutual respect”.

Mr Oduro-Kwarteng added that the collaboration and respect had been demonstrated through community engagement and the collective and shared investments aimed at sustainable community development.

“Let us continue to work together for the betterment of our communities, understand the opportunities and take advantage of developing the Akyem Project to leave the communities better off than we came to meet them”.

Mrs Shirley Tony Kum, Senior Communications Officer for the Akyem Project, on her part, expressed profound gratitude on behalf of the company to the media personnel for their continuous support.

“We see engagement with stakeholders, especially with the media as very useful towards the success of the Akyem Project”.

She said they would therefore continue to engage, solicit for ideas and suggestions and share information on the Project with the media at all times.