Seven Seas Company has spent over Gh¢ 6Million on CSR – Minister

Seven Seas Salt Limited formerly known as Kensington Industries Limited – a Salt Mining Company located in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region, has spent about GH¢6,674,500 on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) since it was established.

The company said the money was spent on refurbishment of road networks, Health, Sports, Water, Houses, Agriculture infrastructure as well as direct economic support to people and communities within the Municipality.

Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, responding to questions in parliament from the Member of Parliament (MP) Abla Dzifa Gomashie for the Area, said, pursuant to the existing agreements, a number of Projects have been undertaken by the Company in some of the communities which include “installation of water tanks and pipes for the supply of water, construction of fish ponds, provision of laptops, printers, stationery, textbooks, and educational materials, and the provision of direct financial support to the communities”.

The complete list of all areas that the CSR projects were undertaken by the Company since 2011 include: Adina, Kpedzakorpe, Agbevekorpe, Sonuto, Amutsinu, Salakorpe, Agabedzi and Avoeme.

The MP wanted to know, “what corporate social responsibility was captured in the contract of Seven Seas Company, and if the same has been executed”, the Sector Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor noted that, the Mining Lease granted to the Company does not contain any corporate social responsibility clauses.

“Typically, Mining Leases do not contain any corporate social responsibility clauses. Corporate Social Responsibility agreements are usually the subject-matter of separate agreements entered between the mining companies and host communities,” he stated.

He however, revealed that, on 19th January, 2021, Seven Seas Salt Limited entered into separate Community Compensation Agreements with the Somey Traditional Authority, Adafienu Community, Xedzranawo Community, and the Tettekope Community.

“These agreements include provisions for the payment of adequate compensation, and the provision of corporate social responsibility for these communities, such as the provision of employment for members of the communities, the provision of humanitarian assistance in times of natural disasters, and provision of health, sporting, educational and security facilities for the communities”.

Seven Seas Salt Limited was granted a fifteen-year Restricted Mining Lease on 29th December, 2011, over an area of the Keta Lagoon measuring approximately Six Thousand and four, point four eight acres (6,004.48 acres), to expire on 28th December, 2026.

By Edzorna Francis Mensah