Participants at a mining forum in Kenyase, Asutifi North District (AND), have criticised Newmont, a mining company operating in the district, for implementing projects that do not align with local community needs.
According to them, some of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects of Newmont did not address the immediate needs of communities within the district. Others also felt that the Assembly did not adequately involve community members in the planning and implementation of those projects.
The forum, organised by Wacam under the Oxfam in Ghana PvP FAIR4ALL Programme, on Friday, March 28, 2025, was themed Tracking CSR Spending and ensuring alignment with local development priorities and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
It brought together forty-seven (47) Community-Based Organisations’ (CBOs) representatives from communities within the AND.
The event aimed to empower the participants to track CSR spending of mining companies and ensure alignment with local development priorities.
The participants expressed concerns and frustrations about the Assembly’s approach to CSR projects.
Again, they felt that the Assembly’s engagement with Newmont was inadequate, leading to misaligned priorities and lack of community involvement.
Against this backdrop, they proposed several recommendations to improve CSR effectiveness, including integrating CSR into business operations, ensuring community participation in CSR projects, and strengthening regulatory frameworks.
They emphasised the need for mining companies to embed CSR principles into their core business operations, ensuring that social and environmental considerations are integral to decision-making processes.
The forum also discussed the relocation issue affecting communities in Damso and Dokyikrom. Programmes and Communications Officer at Wacam, Dennis Ato Keelson, revealed that Wacam’s donor partner, Gower Street, has written to Newmont’s headquarters in Denver, USA, to ensure the mining company to relocate the affected communities.
The concerns raised by participants highlighted the need for greater transparency, accountability, and community engagement in CSR projects.
Earlier, in a presentation, Alphonse Amoako from the Planning Department of the Asutifi North District Assembly highlighted the Assembly’s active involvement in Newmont’s CSR projects.
“From the outset, we [the Assembly] contributes to the design and implementation of these CSR projects, ensuring they benefit the local communities,” he noted.
According to him, the Assembly’s engagement with Newmont involves discussing the merits and demerits of each CSR project.
To guarantee the projects’ successful execution, Mr. Amoako said the Assembly has established a monitoring system, which enables them to evaluate progress on a monthly basis.
He stressed that this approach ensures that Newmont adheres to the agreed-upon design and materials, ultimately benefiting the district’s residents.
On this score, Mr. Amoako emphasised the importance of community involvement in CSR projects of mining companies.
He thus encouraged the participants to engage with the Assembly and inquire about Newmont’s CSR initiatives, stressing that they have a vital role to play in these projects.
He reiterated the Assembly’s commitment to ensuring fair distribution of development projects across all communities and towns under the AND, adding that “it’s our responsibility to guarantee every community receives a fair share of these projects.”
He praised Wacam for its tireless efforts in advocating the rights of communities affected by Newmont’s operations in the district. Specifically, he commended Wacam’s work in ensuring that communities such as Dormaa Kantinka receive fair and adequate compensation, as well as other benefits, for the impacts they have endured.
By Dennis Ato Keelson
