Mining firm, Heath Goldfields Limited, has launched a five-year Community Development Plan valued at $20 million aimed at transforming communities within the Bogoso-Prestea mining enclave in the Western Region.

The initiative, according to the company, will focus on education, healthcare, infrastructure, skills development, enterprise support and job creation across communities including Prestea, Bogoso, Beppoh and Nsuta.

Speaking at the launch, the Managing Director of Heath Goldfields, Patrick Appiah Mensah, described the initiative as a deliberate effort to ensure that mining benefits extend beyond gold extraction to directly improve livelihoods in host communities.

“Mining must not only extract gold from the earth, it must also unlock opportunity for the people whose land carries that gold,” he stated.

The company said the development plan follows extensive engagements with chiefs, youth groups, women associations, opinion leaders and residents withi its catchment communities.

The flagship projects under the programme include the establishment of a Nursing Training College in Prestea, a Technical and Vocational Training Centre in Beppoh, a modern Community Centre in Bogoso and a market centre for Bondaye.

Other planned interventions include the construction of a new JHS block and clinic for Dumase, a basic school from creche to JHS at Brakwaline, CHPS compounds for Kumsuno and Kwameniampa, portable water systems for Akokobediabro and road network improvements in Mbease Nsuta.

The company also announced plans to establish an underground campus of the University of Mines and Technology in Prestea.

In addition, Heath Goldfields says it will transform the Prestea Goldfields Basic School and the Golden Star Basic School in Bogoso into model schools while extending scholarships to brilliant but needy students.

Youth apprenticeship programmes and graduate trainee opportunities are also expected to form part of the initiative to prepare young people for employment opportunities within the mining and technical sectors.

The Managing Director recounted the state of the Bogoso-Prestea Mine when Heath Goldfields took over operations, describing it as a collapsed operation plagued by flooded underground workings, abandoned pits, deteriorated infrastructure and unpaid worker obligations.

According to him, the mine had remained shut down for more than two years, with outstanding salaries, pensions, severance payments and statutory commitments weighing heavily on operations.

He, however, indicated that the company embarked on what he described as one of the most aggressive underground dewatering campaigns in Ghana’s recent mining history to restore operations.

The company subsequently resumed open pit mining, restored sections of the processing plant and achieved its first gold pour after more than two years of shutdown.

“That moment was more than the pouring of gold. It was the pouring of hope,” he stated.

Heath Goldfields says the mine currently supports approximately 1,500 direct and indirect jobs.

The company disclosed that within five months of active operations, it spent more than GH¢150 million on procurement within local communities to support contractors, suppliers and enterprise development.

It further revealed that about GH¢290 million has been paid towards inherited worker-related liabilities, including outstanding salaries, pension contributions and severance packages.

The management stressed that the company’s vision is rooted in responsible and inclusive mining, insisting that the true value of mining should be measured by lives transformed and opportunities created.

The company also called on government to extend development and stability frameworks to indigenous mining companies similar to incentives often provided to foreign-owned firms.

According to management, supporting indigenous mining companies would help retain more economic value within Ghana while creating jobs and building local capacity.

Heath Goldfields additionally appealed for a significant proportion of mining royalties and taxes to be visibly reinvested into mining communities to address growing concerns over underdevelopment in mining areas.

The company warned that continued neglect of mining communities could fuel social agitations and potentially evolve into a national security concern if not addressed deliberately.

As part of efforts to promote coexistence, the company disclosed that portions of its concession have been released to support government’s responsible community mining programme.

Management also appealed to chiefs, youth and residents within the catchment communities to protect the mine and avoid activities that threaten its sustainability.

“The funds required to complete these projects will only be generated if the mine remains stable, productive and secure,” the Managing Director said.

The event also paid tribute to the Founder and Emeritus Chairman of Heath Goldfields, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, for his role in reviving the historic Bogoso-Prestea Mine.

The company described him as a visionary Ghanaian entrepreneur whose investments across mining, banking, insurance and real estate have contributed significantly to national development.