The Ghana Bauxite Company Limited (GBC), currently owned by Ofori Poku Company Limited (OPCL), a wholly indigenous owned Ghanaian company has set in motion its transformation agenda to impact on communities in its catchment area.
The objective of the agenda is to foster local development, provide economic opportunities and provide mutually beneficial partnership and economic growth.
As part of this transformational agenda, the new owners have not only invested a whopping US$112.98 million in acquiring new and fleet of sophisticated equipment and machinery, but it has also established the first ever Community Relations Office at Awaso to foster a positive relationship between the company, chiefs and people of communities in the catchment area.
The office is to strengthen ties with the indigenes and thus effectively sustain its Corporate Social Responsibilities towards local development and economic empowerment.
Commissioning the office at Awaso last Friday, the general Manager, Seth Godfred Antwi, disclosed that since OPCL acquired 80% shares of GBC in 2022, the latter had undergone a remarkable transformation resulting in an increment of its contact staff from 465 to 1,158 including 85 females of which 90 percent of the total workforce are indigenes from the catchment area.
Mr. Antwi announced that GBC operating the 35.5 sq. km Awaso concession had, in addition to creating jobs, invested US$112.98 million in acquiring new and fleet of sophisticated equipment and machinery and retooling existing plant and machinery to boost and sustain production.
He said the company is also awaiting the delivery of a second surface miner by June this year and that as at February 2025, OPCL had acquired 42 new earth moving equipment, 52 new dump trucks, 16 utilities, one surface miner, 35 new light duty vehicles, two new rollers and truck slasher and haulage excavators.
The General Manager said OPCL added 161 fleet of 9 axle trucks to the 80 it inherited from the former owners noting that the acquisition of new trucks had improved haulage operations from 600,000 tons in 2022 to 1.7 million tons of bauxite in 2024.
He said the increased haulage of bauxite has boosted the company’s bid to become a leading player in the global bauxite industry and stimulate economic growth and increase government revenue.
According to him, 74 National Service personnel were engaged by the company for 2023/2024, 30 of whom were retained while 82 personnel of the 2024/2025 have been engaged.
GBC, as part of its corporate Social Responsibility, he said, had constructed the chief’s palace at Awaso and the Bibiani-Anhwiaso Divisional Police Office Complex among others.
The Western North Regional Minister, Mr. Wilbert Petty Brentum, on his part noted that the initiative to establish a Community Relations office was a step towards the development of the area and urged the company to collaborate with the chiefs to foster the required development to benefit the people.
The Minister pledged support for GBC’s efforts to engage all stakeholders in the catchment area.The Omanhene of Sefwi Bekwai Traditional Area, Nana Basape Kwadwo Armah presiding over the inaugural ceremony said the liaison between the company and the people signified a transparent and beneficial relationship and that a healthy relationship breeds substantial benefits.
The Omanhene noted that the transfer of ownership from GBC to OPCL has resulted in an improved relations with the stakeholders and chiefs and people in the area.
Nana Kwame Amponsah, the chief of Awaso commended the management of OPCL for absorbing the youth in employment and hoped unemployment would be adequately addressed in the area.
The post New GBC Owners Invest $112m In Operations -Open New Office At Awaso appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS