Site operations at AWASO
Minister, Chiefs Commend Ghana Bauxite Company For Commissioning Community Relations Office For Awaso
The Western North Regional Minister, Mr Wilbett Petty Brentum has commended the Ghana 
Bauxite Company (GBC) for putting up a Community Relations Office to serve the Chiefs and people of Awaso and other communities within the region.
Addressing the Chiefs and people of the town during the commissioning of the office by officials of GBC, Mr Brentum said it was gratifying that the new management of GBC takes Community relations as seriously as they needed to.
This step, he noted would provide the company and the owners of the community the opportunity to brainstorm and discuss development initiatives for their mutual benefit.
“It is very gratifying to know that the new management of GBC takes issues of the Western North and Awaso in particular seriously and has thus opened this Office for Community Relations and I believe they can think through development decisions well with Chiefs and other authorities from this area”, the Regional Minister stated.
Chiefs:
Nana Basape Kojo Armah, the Paramount Chief of Sefwi Bekwai, praised the efforts of the Ofori Poku Company Limited, the current majority shareholders of GBC, in determining to invest in the mines and in the communities where they are located.
He also commended the company for commissioning the community relations office and instituting a policy where staff and workers at the GBC are wholly Ghanaians.
Nana Armah emphasized the importance of deepening ties with the community where GBC is located so that together they can collaborate to develop the area for mutual benefits.
“I am happy that OPCL, majority share holders of GBC are deepening ties with Awaso Community and the people of the Western North so that together we can embrace the community relations office for positive engagements”, the Chief stressed.
General Manager of GBC:
Addressing the gathering later, Mr Alexander Gyedu, the General Manager for GBC thanked the Chiefs and people of Awaso and the Western North Region for cooperating with the company in carrying out its activities and responsibilities.
He noted that the commissioning of the Community Relations Office at Awaso was a testament of GBC’s resolve to strengthen relations between the company and the people.
Having operated since 1940 in Awaso, the GM said GBC’s mine has become more than a source of premium trihydrate bauxite with typical alumina (AL 203) content of 51% and low Silica of 2% and 9% moisture.
“We are Ghana’s first and only operating bauxite mine which is currently owned by Ofori-Poku Company Limited, a wholly indigenous Ghanaian Company with 80% interest and a Ghana government interest of 20% held by the Ghana Industrial Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC). We are committed to carrying out our operations with transparency so that both GBC and the local communities can mutually benefit”, Mr Gyedu stated.
Feat:
Taking over in 2022, the Management of OPCL promised to make use of indigenous expertise, and from a staff strength of 465, GBC now has a staff strength of 1061, with 976 males and 85 females.
In addition to creating jobs, OPCL has invested heavily in acquiring new and sophisticated equipment to boost production.
The company has acquired 56 new equipment and 198 trucks, including Sino Trucks RDT trucks, TX 400 dump trucks and Howo 371 trucks.
In 2024, Ghana Bauxite Company, under the leadership of OPCL, exported an unprecedented record of 1.7 million metric tons of bauxite ore to China 
and other parts of the world, a feat that had never happened in the company’s history.
Future Prospects:
Currently, the OPCL leadership is exploring avenues to refine the bauxite it produces in Ghana.
The leadership, therefore plans to establish a refinery so that it can achieve optimum value from its operations as well as create employment avenues for the Ghanaian people.
It also aims at increasing business opportunities to grow the Ghanaian economy and to also function properly to attract foreign partnerships and businesses.
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