The visit on December 5, 2022, formed part of a three-day working visit to mining companies in Ghana.

They were accompanied by the Deputy Executive Director- Operations- EPA, Mr Ransford Sekyi; Deputy Director- Mining, Haron Harrison-Afful; Ashanti Regional Manager, EPA, Samuel Oteng; personal as­sistants to the Minister, Benjamin Oppong, Dr Naa Dedei Tagoe and secretary to the Minister, Joyce Esi Bedzra.

Dr Kwaku Afriyie and his entourage were welcomed by the Managing Director of Obuasi Mine, Mr Eric Asubonteng, the Vice President of Environment, Mr Nixon Asante, and other senior members of the Obuasi Mine.

The purpose of the working visit was to provide the Minister and his entourage with first-hand knowledge of the environmental difficulties confronting the Obuasi Mine and to be familiar with the mine’s ongoing environmental initiatives.

The Obuasi Mine Management offered the Minister and his entourage a tour of the process plant, stopping to show them the VEOLIA water treatment plant, the arsenic trioxide treatment project, the processing fa­cility, and the TSF (STSF, BIOX and Future Development).

Also visited were the sustainability projects at the ETS, and drive through the Sustainable Development Units (AGAMal, AGAHF and the KNUST Obuasi Campus).

Dr Afriyie in his address praised Anglo­Gold Ashanti’s Obuasi Mine for its sound environmental practices.

“By statute we are set up in an advisory role, and we are not here to obstruct your work; we want you to advance because we would not exist without you. However, throughout the process we will ensure that all the protocols we agree on are followed; so far, I am very happy with the work done,” he stated.

In his remarks, the Managing Director of AngloGold Ashanti, Eric Asubonteng, com­mended Dr Afriyie and the agency for their continued support and collaboration.

He reaffirmed AngloGold Ashanti’s commitment to implementing measures to mitigate all environmental impacts resulting from its operations.

Mr Asubonteng said the advice and comments from the Minister and its Agency would be seriously considered.

On his part the Executive Director of EPA, Dr Kokofu, expressed the agency’s satisfaction with the work completed by the Obuasi Mine.

He assured the Obuasi Management of the agency’s continued support and engage­ment.