The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, has signed a linkages cooperation agreement with Newmont Ghana Gold Limited to collaborate on supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana, near Newmont's Ahafo gold mine.
The SME linkages programme is part of the IFC's work with Newmont Ghana Gold on the Ahafo mine. In July 2006, IFC signed a loan of$125 million to the mine to support Ghana's mining sector, working with Newmont to help raise environmental standards and ensure that local communities benefit from the project.
"IFC is very pleased to partner with Newmont in this joint endeavor to create and bring direct benefits for the local communities in and around the Ahafo mine area," said Thierry Tanoh, IFC's Director for Sub-Saharan Africa. "The mine is generating demand for a wide variety of goods and services and the linkages program will focus on creating opportunities for local businesses to respond to the demand."
With funding from both IFC and Newmont, the thee-year linkages program will have three primary goals:
To support the development of local businesses and to develop potential suppliers and providers of goods and services to the mine;
To improve the competitiveness of local non-mining businesses to help develop a diversified local economy outside of the mining sector;
To develop and improve the capacity of local business associations and institutions that can provide long-term sustainable business support, training and other services to the local business community.
The program will also place a special emphasis on supporting women entrepreneurs and will incorporate HIV / AIDS into its training activities through the IFC Gender Entrepreneurship Markets and the IFC Against AIDS programmes.
"Newmont is pleased to be able to expand our partnership with IFC and to bring their expertise and experience to the important task of maximizing local economic opportunities for the Ahafo people" said David Baker, Newmont's Vice President for Environmental Affairs and Sustainable Development.
"One of our most basic objectives is to initiate the enhancement of the local economic opportunity process early in the mine life to allow for years of development in this area. This partnership is an important step in creating long-term value within the communities around our operations."
No comments:
Post a Comment