Accra, February 10, 2015.

The National Multi-stakeholder Steering Committee of the Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GHEITI) has today formally launched the country's 2012 and 2013 mining, oil and gas EITI audit reports, released on December 27, 2014. The two reports bring to ten, the total number published since Ghana acceded to the initiative in 2003. The 2013 report is the third for the oil and gas sector.

A SENIOR Mineral Sector Governance Advisor in charge of the African Mineral Development Centre of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, Dr. Kojo Busia, has called for strong policy reform in Africa's extractive sector.

It is a great pleasure for me to make this few opening remarks at this important workshop on the implementation of the Guidelines for the utilization of the Minerals Royalties that government sends back to districts and communities impacted by mining.

Newmont last year retained in Ghana almost 80% of its earnings from gold sales

Newmont Ghana has announced that almost 80% of its earnings from gold sales were retained in the country in 2012, contrary to some recent claims.

The earnings retained in Ghana were spent on corporate taxes, local contractors and vendors, wages and benefits and land access. The remaining 20% was spent on offshore debt payments, heavy equipment and other offshore purchase.