Takoradi: Mr Gerard Boakye, Group Corporate Affairs Manager of Golden Star Wassa Limited (GSWL), says the company is set to resume operations at Benso in the Western Region.
According to Ghana News Agency, the company suspended its operations in 2023 following an attack by some illegal miners at the company's site in Benso. Mr. Boakye explained this to journalists when the company organized the Western Regional stakeholder's forum in Takoradi. The forum was attended by officials from the Minerals Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Forestry Commission, Water Resources Commission, Ghana Immigration Services, journalists, among others.
He said over the last couple of months, they have spent several million dollars on drilling, and this has enabled them to set a baseline for mining at the Benso site. The Group Corporate Affairs Manager noted that the current gold price had motivated their efforts, as it's a common phenomenon in the mining industry. "In areas where drilling is difficult or expensive, we usually wait for the gold price to reach a level that makes it worthwhile to proceed, so, we take advantage of the higher gold price to justify the cost. Based on this, we have decided to return to Benso and some of the other pits we had left," he stated.
Mr. Boakye added that they have learned from past challenges and mistakes, leading them to implement measures to enhance operations. He further revealed that the company has had multiple interactions with the community to discuss their plans for Benso to ensure that there is a thorough understanding of their intentions. Mr. Boakye expressed hope that the community's support for the project would mark a positive start as the return to Benso would increase activity, including vehicle movement and on-site work.
On Thursday, March 16, 2023, some illegal miners attacked the GSWL site in Benso, where 12 vehicles, including an ambulance, were burnt. One person was reported dead in the process, while four others sustained injuries. The illegal miners were said to have invaded a concession of GSWL to cart away mine dust to prospect for gold, an attempt resisted by a team of security personnel from the mining firm and the police. The culprits were arrested and arraigned before court for prosecution.
