By Samira Larbie, GNA
Accra, April 05, GNA - Mr Zakaria Issah, the Community Affairs Superintendent, Golden Star Wassa, has called on companies in the extractive industry to strengthen their engagement structure.
He also urged them to integrate stakeholders who can influence their activities in their plans for development.
He said this would help the company generate positive feedback which would enable them know how to address their grievances.
Mr Issah was speaking at the final roundtable discussions on the implementation of the Voluntary Principles (VP) looking back on the milestones of the program and chart the way forward into the future.
He said the phase of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was changing but most companies were still adapting to the old system of just providing infrastructure without consulting the users.
A well-structured approach Mr Issah said was what was required and noted that this had helped Golden Star a great deal in achieving peaceful coexistence in the field of their operations.
"Engage the district chief executives, MPs, Paramount chiefs and influential people in the community. These are the people who can affect change in policy," he said.
He said the participation of the youth in operations and giving them the needed recognition they deserve would give companies the peaceful environment to operate.
He therefore advised that companies in the extractive industry adhere to the directions of the VP to enable them work effectively because it was more efficient.
He urged participants who have been trained to also train others with an effective monitoring process in line with the National Action Plan on the VP.
The national roundtable discussions on the VP's implementation began in 2016 with funding from the U.S Department of State.
Ms Hannah Blyth, the Programs Officer the Fund for Peace (FFP), expressed satisfaction with the inputs made by participants to enhance the implementation strategies.
She mentioned reforming private security licensing, developing a training curriculum for public security forces through an education institution, linking the VP's to the Multi sectorial small scale illegal mining as key priority areas.
He also suggested increase coordination between oil and gas operators, government and key coastal community stakeholders.
Ms Blyth stated that even though the three years period of national level discussions had to come to an end, this was not the last of the VP's involvement in the country and called for the launch of the Multi sectorial Mining (MMIP) and the National Action Plan to carry on with the implementation.
Mr Rustum Nyquist, the Human Rights Officer, US Embassy, expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources for providing the leadership in the implementation of the VP.
He said the US Government and Ghana were still partners and look forward to more collaboration in the future to enhance the economy.
GNA
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