Shanta Gold Limited (AIM:SHG, OTC:SAAGF)‘s spending on local procurement rocketed in 2022, according to its latest sustainability report.
Community spending jumped to US$94mln in 2022 from just US$300,000 the previous year as the gold miner built a new mine at Singida in Tanzania and started exploration at its West Kenya deposits.
Eric Zurrin, Shanta’s chief executive, said this included the construction of classrooms and toilets at two schools at Singida and 99% local employment.
Zurrin added: “While it is disappointing to report that our long-standing record of 9 million man-hours without a Lost Time Incident at New Luika was broken in April 2022, we still achieved industry-leading safety performance with a Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate of 0.75.”
Shanta main mine at New Luika is now 22% solar powered, even so, greenhouse gas emissions rose slightly to 44,726t CO2 from 41,764t in 2021, though intensity reduced.