Golden Star Wassa Mine has announced plans to resume operations at its Benso mining site in the Western Region. The company halted activities at the site two years ago following a violent community attack that destroyed valuable property, including its core shed.
Speaking during a stakeholder engagement forum in Takoradi, the company’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Gerald Boakye, revealed that mining at Benso is expected to resume this week.
“We’re more certain than not that we’ll start mining at Benso this week. The most important thing is that we’ve already begun drilling to re-establish our geological data,” said Mr. Boakye.
The attack in 2023 resulted in the loss of vital core reference materials, disrupting operations and costing the company millions of dollars. Since then, Golden Star Wassa has undertaken extensive drilling and invested in rebuilding data to set the foundation for restarting mining.
“We’ve done several months of drilling, spending several millions of dollars to re-establish a mining baseline. This effort is necessary to support a safe and sustainable return to the site,” Mr. Boakye added.
He cited the current rise in gold prices as a motivating factor behind the company’s decision to return to the Benso pit.
“In mining, some locations are initially not viable due to high operational costs. But with the global gold price now favorable, we can now take advantage of areas like Benso that were previously left untouched.”
To avoid past mistakes, Golden Star Wassa has stepped up community engagement in mining areas, ensuring that local stakeholders understand the implications of renewed operations.
“We’ve done multiple community engagements in the Western Region to let residents know what to expect — from increased traffic to the presence of workers. We’re also aware that illegal mining activities may emerge, so we’ve put measures in place to address that.”
Mr. Boakye noted that although the previous disruption wasn’t entirely the company’s fault, it has taken steps to learn from the experience and strengthen its relationship with host communities.
“We’ve learned our lessons. This time, we’ve put in place stronger community relations and security measures to ensure smooth operations.”
The resumption of mining at the Benso site is expected to create job opportunities, stimulate local businesses, and contribute to regional development.
Source: myinfotoday.com
