GGL hands over mechanised borehole to community

Compiled by Alfred Adams

The management of Goldfields Ghana Limited (GGL), a mining company operating in Tarkwa, has completed and handed over a mechanised borehole to the serve the indigenes of Tebe, a farming community located near Prestea.

The borehole is expected to serve a population of about 3,000 in Tebe and its environs, who hitherto, have been relying on streams and rivers as their source of drinking water.

The borehole, which is estimated to cost $63,000, has since been commissioned and is being used by the Tebe community.

The General Manager of GGL, Mr. Michael van der Merwe, at the commissioning, said the company placed premium on education, health and sanitation.

He said for this reason, potable supply of water continues to engage the attention of GGL, not particularly that the company pollutes the water systems of host communities, but inherently being part of GGL’s values to respect the environment and community.

Again, the company also assists host communities with their needs, and helps to improve upon what the company met when it commenced operations.

So far, all host communities of GGL have been provided with small town water and systems supply, thus moving away completely from hand dug wells.

The General Manager, however, told the gathering that the company had also taken it upon itself to tar all feeder roads leading to farming communities, in order to help farmers transport their produce.

He said a total sum of $2 million would be needed to tar all roads leading to the farming communities.

The Vice President of Goldfields, Mr. Peet van Schalkwyk ,on his part, said the company, through its flagship Sustainable Community Empowerment and Economic Development (SEED) programme, had enhanced the status of its host communities.

He said he expected this relationship to be developed further, as more projects are executed to enhance the livelihoods and standing of host communities.

The South African High Commissioner to Ghana, Her Excellency Jeannett Ndlovu, commissioned the mechanised borehole project for use.

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