A sixty-member Newmont Akyem Gold Mining Project compensation negotiation committee was inaugurated at New Abirem on Wednesday.
The committee is tasked with the responsibility to negotiate on behalf of farmers in the various communities with Newmont Akyem project for acceptable crop compensation to be paid to farmers whose crops would be destroyed during the company's prospecting operation in the 2009/2010 physical year.
Members of the committee were elected by the nine affected communities to represent them on the negotiation table for the payment of compensation for crops including cocoa, oil palm, citrus, cola and other food stuffs that would be affected during the company's operations.
Other members of the committee are representatives from Newmont, some selected government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Justice Alex Owusu, a Circuit Court Judge from Mpraeso, swore members of the committee into office.
Mr Napoleon Amoako Asiamah, Birim North District Chief Executive, in an address advised members of the committee to study all the negotiation process to enable both parties to arrive at a consensus for the payment of acceptable compensation to affected farmers in the area.
He advised members of the committee to present the true picture at the various stages of the negotiation to the farmers for them to have confidence in the committee.
Mr Asiamah said though there would be some disagreements between the parties during the negotiations, they should use dialogue and compromise to be able to arrive at an amicable settlement.
He said the assembly would not compromise for Newmont to exploit the farmers to recoup their investment in the project, since the crops were going to be destroyed.
The General Manager of the project, Dr. Mrs Helena Macdonald, commended representatives of the affected communities for the confidence reposed in their elected members.
She advised the representatives to report back to the communities, various decisions they would arrived at during the negotiations.
Dr Mrs Macdonald gave the assurance that Newmont would co-operate with all the affected communities and members of the committee.
She said the company would pay acceptable crop compensation to the farmers in addition to the provision of social amenities as part of its social responsibility to enhance the living standards of the people.
The Krontihene of Abirem, Nana Yaw Osei Takyi, advised the committee members to assess the investment the farmers had made during the cultivation of their crops and to ensure that adequate compensation was paid to them.