After years of passionate demonstrations and uncertainty, the Bogoso-Prestea Gold Mine has entered a new chapter as local investor Heath GoldFields Limited (HGL) steps in with bold commitments to revive operations and restore livelihoods.

The mine, which has stood for more than a century as one of Ghana’s most historic gold operations, fell into deep crisis under its former operator, Future Global Resources (FGR). Workers went unpaid for months, contractors were left in debt, and underground pumping was abandoned, leaving the mine flooded and communities in despair. For years, residents of Prestea, Bogoso and surrounding communities staged protests and appealed to government for intervention.

That breakthrough finally came in 2023 when government terminated FGR’s lease and approved Heath GoldFields, a wholly Ghanaian-owned company, to take over operations.

At a media engagement in Bogoso on September 4, 2025, Managing Director, Patrick Appiah Mensah assured that the new operators were committed to turning the page. He said the company had already paid more than GHS100 million in outstanding salaries and provident fund contributions owed to workers, alongside GHS16.8 million cleared for local contractors.

“These investments have been made ahead of any gold production, showing our dedication to the mine, its workforce, and its host communities,” he said.

According to him, Heath GoldFields has invested more than GHS34 million in safety and infrastructure upgrades, including restoring the mine’s winder to meet regulatory standards. The company has also reinstated Knight Piésold as Engineer of Record for the Tailings Storage Facility and begun intensive underground dewatering.

After more than two years without pumping, the Prestea underground mine had filled with vast volumes of water, while much of the pumping infrastructure had been damaged or stolen. Since July, Heath GoldFields has installed new high-capacity pumps and pipelines, removing 6,800 cubic meters of water daily. The volume is expected to rise above 10,000 cubic meters per day by October.

For the community, the return of mining operations brings renewed hope. Residents say the past few years were marked by high unemployment and increased illegal mining activity, which devastated water bodies and farmlands. They believe a stable investor can provide jobs, reduce galamsey, and help restore the environment.

Mr. Appiah Mensah stressed the importance of supporting local mining initiatives, pointing out that most companies in Ghana are foreign-owned while Ghanaians provide technical expertise. “If the government invests in and supports local initiatives, mining in Ghana could become much more attractive,” he said.

Heath GoldFields has outlined its next priorities as restarting open-pit mining, completing refurbishment of the processing plant, intensifying underground dewatering, and ensuring direct community benefits through jobs, infrastructure and social investment.

“Bogoso-Prestea is no longer a story of despair but of renewal. Businesses are regaining confidence, and communities that once lost hope are beginning to find optimism again,” the Managing Director told the media.

Residents meanwhile have expressed gratitude to government for securing a new investor, describing it as a lifeline for the mining town after years of struggle.