Perseus Mining (Ghana) Limited has transferred 70 hectares of its Ayanfuri mining lease to the Ghanaian government to support the new Small-Scale Cooperative Mining Scheme.
This initiative aims to formalize artisanal mining, generate employment, and combat illegal operations damaging land and water resources.
CEO Jeff Quartermaine confirmed the company contributed $1.428 million for land rehabilitation alongside the lease transfer. “This reflects our shared commitment to sustainable success,” he stated, referencing Perseus’s recent $5 million dividend payment to the government. The scheme enables local cooperatives to obtain community mining licenses under regulatory oversight.
The released area near Ayanfuri will provide legal mining access while leveraging Perseus’s existing community investments. Since 2011, the company’s Edikan Trust Fund has financed infrastructure and livelihoods in mining communities, with annual funding increased to $500,000 in 2024 to cover additional villages.
Perseus injected $286 million into Ghana’s economy through taxes and local spending in 2024. Industry observers view this partnership as a potential model for formalizing small-scale mining while reducing environmental harm under President Mahama’s resource governance framework.
