Growth is key to world number two gold miner AngloGold Ashanti’s future strategy, CEO Bobby Godsell said at the company’s annual general meeting on Thursday.
Growth would be sought in the reserves, production and margins from the new enriched asset base of the combined company. Ashanti’s assets brought the group the prospect of growing production.
”I am excited about the exploration prospects that our combined exploration team can now focus on in Ghana, Guinea, Mali and Tanzania, and also on the higher risk Democratic Republic of Congo,” he said, adding that the company would be concentrating on delivering growth in its reserve base of high-margin ounces.
Regarding HIV/Aids, AngloGold Ashanti continues to roll-out anti-retroviral treatment to its employees and by the end of March more than 600 employees were receiving the treatment in South Africa.
”We remain convinced that this is not only a humanitarian response to this public health crisis, but one that makes good business sense too,” AngloGold Ashanti chairperson Russell Edey said.
The rapid finalisation of the conversion of South Africa’s mineral rights for some prominent local mining companies would have the effect of eliminating investor uncertainty, he added. – Sapa