A joint inspection of two major road projects funded by the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation in its host communities has renewed calls for a substantial increase in the share of mineral royalties allocated to mining communities, with the Ghana Chamber of Mines proposing that host communities receive at least 30 percent of the country’s mineral royalties.
The inspection, led by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, took officials to the 14.21-kilometre Samahu-Pepesa Road in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality and the 2.26-kilometre Budo City Junction-Bogoso Junction Road in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality.
Addressing journalists after the tour, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ing. Ken Asigbey, said the current allocation of about eight percent of mineral royalties to traditional authorities and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) was inadequate to meet the development needs of communities that host mining operations.
He argued that increasing the allocation to at least 30 percent would accelerate development and ensure that communities directly affected by mining derived greater benefits from the country’s mineral resources.
“We believe that if government matches the investments mining companies are making in host communities, we will begin to see the kind of development people expect,” he stated.
Ing. Asigbey proposed that royalties transferred to local authorities should be ring-fenced exclusively for development projects instead of being used for recurrent expenditure.
He suggested that government prioritize infrastructure, industrialization, education and healthcare, while encouraging mining companies to align their corporate social investments with the same sectors to maximize development impact.
According to him, coordinated investments by government and mining companies would deliver lasting benefits to mining communities.
He observed that although mineral royalties support national development programmes, communities that produce the country’s mineral wealth deserve a larger share of the proceeds.
Ing. Asigbey also renewed calls for the passage of a Minerals Revenue Management Act, similar to the Petroleum Revenue Management Act, to ensure transparent and prudent management of mineral revenues.
The proposed legislation, he explained, would establish stabilization and heritage funds to manage windfall revenues during periods of high mineral prices while safeguarding resources for future generations.
Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Gold Fields Ghana Limited, Mr. Elliot Twum, said the inspection reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting sustainable community development through strategic infrastructure investments.
He noted that engineers had identified an ageing reinforced concrete drainage structure on one of the road projects and recommended its replacement with a box culvert to improve drainage and ensure public safety.
Mr. Twum emphasized that proper drainage remained critical to the durability of road infrastructure, adding that corporate social responsibility had evolved beyond philanthropy to sustainable community development.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Prestea Hunni-Valley, Dr. Matthew Kofi Ayeh, described the reconstruction of the Samahu-Pepesa Road as a major relief to the Municipal Assembly and six beneficiary communities.
He commended Gold Fields Ghana Limited and the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation for financing the project, noting that the intervention had saved the Assembly significant financial resources.
Dr. Ayeh said the road would improve access to markets for cocoa, oil palm and poultry farmers, reduce transport costs and travel time, and enhance economic activities within the area. He appealed to chiefs and residents to support the contractor to ensure the timely completion of the project.
The Samahu-Pepesa Road project, valued at GH¢60.69 million (US$5.3 million), is about 35.84 percent complete and is expected to be delivered in October 2027.
The Budo City Junction-Bogoso Junction Road, estimated at GH¢14.35 million (US$1.26 million), is 76.84 percent complete and is scheduled for completion in June 2027.
Both projects are expected to improve access to schools and health facilities, reduce travel time, stimulate economic activities and create employment opportunities for residents.
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