annexc - Newmont Mining Corporation

Annex C7 -- Socioeconomics Supplemental Information C7 - 2
inflation rose to 12.7 percent. Some of the reasons for this are the surge in the
international crude oil prices (GRRL 2008), which resulted in increases in domestic prices of
petroleum products. On average there was a 12 percent increase in the per litre price of
petrol during the last quarter of 2007, while the prices for kerosene and gas used for
cooking also increased sharply and electricity tariffs increased by approximately 100 percent
(GRRL 2008).
According to the GRRL (2008), food prices rose sharply from 9.3 percent in September
2007 to 10.5 percent in December 2007. This increase can be attributed to the increase in
transport costs, the adverse climatic conditions experienced during the first quarter of the
year, and the impact of floods that affected the major food-growing areas of the country.
The fifth Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS 5) compared data from 1991 to data from
2006; indicating poverty in 2006 has declined since 1991. The indicators show a downward
trend in poverty from 39.5 percent in Fiscal Year 1998/1999 to 28.5 percent in Fiscal Year
2005/2006 (GRRL 2008). Poverty-related expenditures increased from ¢233.9 GH¢ million
in 2002 to ¢1,237.4 GH¢ million in 2006. This represents 21.7 percent of the 2002 total
government expenditure compared to 34.9 percent of total government expenditure in
2006 (GRRL 2008).
The Cedi has remained relatively stable against major currencies throughout 2007 and has
successfully been re-denominated: ten thousand cedis became one Ghana Cedi (GH¢),
equivalent to one hundred Ghana Pesewas (i.e. ¢10,000 = Gh¢1 = 100 Gp). All figures in
this report are presented in GH¢.
EASTERN REGION / BIRIM NORTH DISTRICT OVERVIEW
The Eastern Region’s (Region) population of 2,108,852 million is comprised of 49 percent
males and 51 percent females in 2000. It is the third most populous region after Ashanti
and Greater Accra Regions. The population structure indicates that 41.7 percent are
younger than 15, while 5.8 percent are older than 64 years.
The Birim North District (District) registered a population of 123,579 in 2000 (Official
Census) with an annual growth rate of 3.4 percent, using this growth rate the District
population for 2006 is estimated to be 152,401 persons. Analysis of the 2000 census
revealed that children between the ages of 0-14 years constitute 16 percent of the total
District’s population. Males constitute approximately 49 percent (60,982) of the population
while the female population stands at 62,597 or approximately 51 percent. Male/female
population ratio is 1:1.02.
The District had 4 percent of the total Eastern Region population according to the 2000
census, and 6.5 percent of total area of the region (1,250 km 2 as compared to 19,323 km 2 ).
The District had a lower population density (99 persons per km 2 ) than the average for the
Region of 109 persons per km 2 , reflecting the prevalence of relatively small size settlements
in the District.
Akyem Gold Mining Project November 2008 FINAL EIS