The Bogoso-Prestea Mines, a historic mining operation in the Central Region, is facing a serious threat of collapse due to alleged mismanagement of Future Global Resources (FGR), the company that took over from Golden Star Bogoso-Prestea in 2020.
This was revealed by the Member of Parliament for Prestea Huni-Valley, Robert Wisdom Cudjoe, who addressed the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC) on Thursday and urged the government to intervene urgently to save the mine.
Hon. Cudjoe said that FGR did not pay any amount for the takeover and has also failed to inject capital into the business, resulting in a huge debt of $90 million.
The traditional authorities and communities, he said, were kept in the dark about the takeover, which raised questions about the transparency and legality of the process.
He disclosed that FGR has laid off many workers without paying them their severance packages, and has defaulted on statutory payments such as Tier 1 & 2, SSNIT, and PF.
He added that the workers who remained faced poor working conditions, such as the lack of PPE, tools, and parts, which endangered their safety.
He accused FGR of neglecting its corporate social responsibility obligations, which affected the infrastructure development in the surrounding communities.
He also said that FGR owed money to key entities such as the Ghana Revenue Authority, Gridco, and local contractors, which disrupted essential services.
He further said that FGR failed to pay for security services, which led to three robbery incidents targeting the gold room since FGR took over.
Hon. Cudjoe said, “The Bogoso-Prestea Mines, which has been operating since 1925 and has contributed immensely to the development of this country, is on the verge of collapse if nothing is done to address the situation.”
He joined the call by the traditional chiefs and mine workers for the Committee of Lands and Forestry, Natural Resources, and Minerals Commission to set up a committee to investigate the takeover or purchase agreement with FGR.
He urged the government to act swiftly to protect the interests of the stakeholders and ensure the sustainability of the mine.
