The following article was taken from the May 20, 2005 edition of the Accra Daily Mail.

Published by MAC on 2005-05-20

The following article was taken from the May 20, 2005 edition of the Accra Daily Mail.

The praises for Anglogold Ashanti by the Zambian President is not unexpected of government officials. They always do even when there is evidence of human suffering resulting from the activities of mining companies.

Recent study of the impacts of the activities of Anglogold Ashanti on surrounding communities by a team of researchers from the University of Ghana sponsored by TWN-Africa revealed:
1. Very appalling health conditions
2. High levels of water pollution above the EPA and WHO permissible levels
3. High proportion of casual labour (a strategy to deny workers their right to determination)
4. AGC (Anglogold Ashanti) has been operating in Obuasi over a century but it was much recent (2000) that the town had a few of its roads asphalted. A significant proportion of the road network in Obuasi is still not paved.

It is also doubtful that the revision of the mining law is intended to regulate mining companies. Indeed the bill is intended to give mining companies more power and much room to operate by providing for:
1. 3% royalty instead of 3-12%
2. Stability clause
3. Clause 68 of the Bill omits the operating standard imposed on mineral rights holders
Clause 46(2) (d) of the bill provides for more liberal terms for mining lease holders with investments exceeding 500 million dollars. This again is perverse since environmental damage is generally proportionate to the size of the operations.
Clause 102 of the Bill excludes environmental pollution in the list of offences.
6. Illegitimate compromises of Ministerial Discretion

TWN-Africa is working with its Ghanaian partners to influence the bill through changes in some of the provisions.

We would be circulating a memorandum for your information and also for you help in putting pressure on the Ghanaian government to change some of the provisions or totally withdraw the whole bill.

Abdulai Darimani, TWN Africa