AngloGold Ashanti CEO Alberto Calderon was accompanied by senior members of his leadership team on a working visit to Ghana last week, during which he visited the Obuasi Gold Mine and met with key stakeholders including President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo and Mr. Mireku Duker, the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources.
“Ghana is blessed with world-class human capital and natural resources, and remains one of the mining industry’s most attractive destinations for investment,” said Mr. Calderon.
“We are grateful for the continued support we have received from His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the government of Ghana and its various agencies, as well as from Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II who has been a champion of our investments in the country over many years. We are proud of the contribution that our operations continue making to Ghana, and to our host communities through the royalties and taxes paid, as well as through a range of social investments in education, health and infrastructure development among others.”
Mr. Calderon’s team included Obuasi Gold Mine Managing Director, Eric Asubonteng; Iduapriem Gold Mine Managing Director, Samuel Pobee; Senior Vice President for AngloGold Ashanti’s Ghana/Tanzania Business Unit, Richard Jordinson; and Senior Vice President-Group Sustainability, Baso Sangqu.
AngloGold Ashanti, through its wholly-owned subsidiary AngloGold Ashanti Ghana, owns and operates the Obuasi and Iduapriem Gold Mines in Ghana – where production will increase significantly in the coming years as Obuasi ramps up its production. Obuasi is undergoing a major capital investment to transform it into a long-life, mechanised mining operation. Obuasi, will be among the multi-national company’s largest and lowest-cost mining operations when it reaches full production.
Last year, AngloGold Ashanti Ghana, produced 310,000oz of gold from its two mines in Ghana. Total expenditure for AngloGold Ashanti Ghana operations from 2018 to 2021 was US$1,714bn, with more than 80% spent in country. About half of the in-country spend has gone to wholly Ghanaian-owned companies.
In 2021, US$115.9m was paid by AngloGold Ashanti in royalties and taxes to government. The company employs 6,781 people (direct employees and contractors) and invested US$2.6m in corporate social investment and initiatives during 2021.
Mr. Calderon’s visit included a visit to the Obuasi Gold Mine, where US$881m is being invested at capital project stage in the mine’s transformation. Total project capital expenditure as of March this year is US$697m.
Production is currently in its first year of a two-year ramp-up, while Phase Three of the redevelopment project is already underway. He provided stakeholders with a detailed update on AngloGold Ashanti Ghana’s socioeconomic contribution to Ghana’s development, and its plans for the future.
Mr. Calderon reiterated AngloGold Ashanti’s commitment to ensuring that the Obuasi and Iduapriem mines remain vibrant and profitable in the long-term, so as to create benefits for all stakeholders.
