President directs Maxam Ghana Limited to pay US$5 million fine to Appiatse Support Fund

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has directed that US$5 million out of the US$6 million fine imposed on the Maxam Ghana Limited for the Appiatse explosion be donated to the Appiatse Support Fund.

A statement, issued by the Lands Minister, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, and shared with the Ghana News Agency Thursday night, in Accra, said President Akufo-Addo had directed that the US$5 million should be donated to the Appiatse Support Fund.

The Appiatse Support Fund, established by the Government, is among others, to support the victims of the Appiatse incident and help reconstruct the community, which was razed by the explosion on January 20, 2022.

The directive follows an administrative fine of one million United States dollars (US$1,000,000.00) imposed on Maxam Ghana Limited for regulatory breaches, following the Appiatse incident, which killed 14 people, injured more than 170 others and destroyed the entire community.

The company also agreed to pay an additional five million United States dollars (US$5,000,000.00) to the Government.

The statement explained that by law, the one million dollars (US$1,000,000.00), which constituted the administrative fine, formed part of the Internally Generated Funds of the Minerals Commission, the regulator of the sector.

The President, therefore, directed that the additional five million dollars (US$5,000,000.00) to be paid by Maxam Ghana Limited to Government, be donated to the Appiatse Support Fund towards the reconstruction of the community.

Accordingly, the Lands Minister has directed the Minerals Commission to ensure that the said five million dollars (US$5,000,000.00) be paid to the Appiatse Support Fund, in accordance with the agreed terms of payment.