AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine says it is set to produce about 273,000 ounces of gold this year.Senior Vice President, Continental Africa Region, Jasper Musadaidzwa, who made this known was, however, convinced they could exceed the target, adding that “already we are trending above that target”.
Speaking at the Ghana Mining and Energy Summit in Accra with the theme ‘harnessing mining and energy potential to accelerate national development’ on Monday, Musadaidzwa said that 99 percent of its workforce were Ghanaians and that they were performing creditably.
“This is done on the back of only two expatriates on site and the rest are local people. 99 percent are Ghanaians,” he stressed.
However, to maintain such sterling performance; Musadaidzwa said they would need government’s assurance on stable electricity supply.
He disclosed how erratic power supply affected their profits and ability to pay royalties to government.
“We are saying Ghana is now the number one gold producer in Africa, if power is stable and there is no dumsor (or blackout), it means more investment will come into the country,” he stressed.
The Ghana Mining and Energy Summit (GMES) is a biennial conference and exhibition organised by the Ghana Chamber of Mines with endorsement from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Ministry of Energy, the Minerals Commission and the Energy Commission.
