Meeting customers on their turf: Absa MD hits the market

As the sun rose over Accra, Abena Osei-Poku, the Managing Director of Absa Ghana, stepped out of her o ce and into the bustling streets of Ghana's capital city. Her destination? The small and medium-sized businesses that Absa has been supporting since its launch in Ghana three years ago.

Absa's commitment to these businesses is unwavering, and Abena is determined to reinforce that message in person. She visits these businesses frequently during the year, immersing herself in their world and listening to their needs. On this particular day, she headed to the Spintex road area to visit two clients who are making signi cant impact in their respective industries.

One produces mineral water plastic bags while the other distributes ethanol for the production of hand sanitizers. These businesses are vital to Ghana's economic growth, and Abena wants to make sure they know that Absa stands by them in good and di cult times.

The meeting was candid, with the clients expressing their gratitude for the bank's support and highlighting key areas where they need urgent assistance. The Man- aging Director listened attentively, assuring them that Absa fully understands their needs and is committed to providing the support they require to keep their businesses running smoothly.

In the current economic climate, SMEs are facing a myriad of challenges, and Absa's commitment to their success has never been more important. Abena's visit is a reminder that sometimes, the best way to connect with clients is through a personal touch.

Absa's commitment to SMEs extends beyond just lip service. The bank has imple- mented groundbreaking initiatives, including a partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and providing collateral-free loans to these businesses. With a passion for always lending a helping hand, Absa has established itself as an undisputed market leader in Ghana.

For Abena Osei-Poku, supporting SMEs isn't just a business strategy; it's a personal mission. As she left the businesses she had visited, she was already planning her next trip, eager to continue listening, learning, and helping Ghana's small and medium-sized businesses thrive.

Request for Expressions of Interest – Blockwork Building Construction (For Firms Strictly Incorporated in Ghana with Exclusive Ghanaian Directors and Shareholders)

Newmont Africa (hereinafter referred to as the “Company”), a subsidiary of Newmont Corporation (the world's largest gold mining company ) and operator of the Ahafo South and Akyem mines, is requesting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from eligible, capable, and suitably quali ed companies for the provision of Blockwork Building Construction S ervices for its Ahafo North Project The Project is located in the Ahafo Region of Ghana, near Afrisipa krom , approximately 20km south -east of Sunyani.

General

T he scope of the s ervices includes the detail design (shop /construction drawings), supply and construction of blockwork buildings for various permanent f acilities This involves the construction of eleven (11) blockwork buildings which consist of approximately 1 2 , 0 00 m 2 of total building oor area with 1,500 m 3 of concrete slabs and nearly 15,000 m 2 of block wall over a 1 5 -month period Speci cally, it would cover the following :

Surveying and setting out of the w ork s

Materials testing and quality control services.

Detailed excavation , back lling and compaction for the construction of reinforced concrete footings, slabs, and underground services.

Supply and installation of all concrete works , including formwork and falsework, as well as all reinforc ement of steel and wire mesh, including cutting, bending , and xing

Supply and construction of blocks and mortar for the blockwork buildings

Supply and installation of termite treatment within the building areas

Supply and installation of all external building components including steel roof trusses, frames, roof sheeting, verandas, gutters, downpipes, lintels, ashings, ridge capping, eaves, vents, windows, doors, rendering and painting

Supply and installation of all internal building components , including ceilings, insulation, wall and oor tiling, waterproo ng of wet areas and all associated xtures and ttings.

Supply and installation of furniture and equipment within the buildings

Installation of electrica l, communications and air conditioning systems.

Supply and installation of piping and plumbing systems , including the supply and installation of stormwater d rains.

Testing and commissioning for full and complete performance of each building

Minimum Criteria

Interested o rganizations must demonstrate that they can meet the following minimum criteria:

Company is incorporated in Ghana with exclusive Ghanaian shareholders and directors

We require all appropriate company documentation as well as copies of identi cation of the shareholders and directors to meet this requirement

Company is registered wit h the relevant regulatory and professional bodies. This includes but is not limited to the Ghana Minerals Commission. We require all appropriate company documentation to meet this requirement

Capability and proven records of successfully providing similar blockwork construction within the mining or related industr ies We require an experience statement with veri able references for the last three projects to support this capabilit y References provided must include customer organization name, customer name/contract number, date contract was awarded, contract reference with brief description, country/location, value of contract , and date contract was completed

Details t hat demonstra te the company has current capacity and capability to perform the construction in addition to other current projects and any projects tendered but yet to be awarded I nformation to include details of current projects, projects tendered, labour, equipment a nd temporary facilities resources available within the company

Financial strength and ability to provide uninterrupted supply and construction s ervices for a minimum of two years We require supporting document ation to demonstrate this capability including the company’s turnover in the last two years, pre -tax pro t (or loss) for the past two years, net worth / shareholders’ funds (or net liabilities) at the date of the latest accounts , the present cash/credit position , and the company’s normal means of funding major contract works.

Full compliance with all applicable health , safety, environmental, and any other relevant and/or applicable standards We require health and safety management plan, and an environmental management pl an to support this capability

P rovide safety and environmental performance records for the past ve years , indicating workplace injury, disease , and environmental incident statistics. Details must include y ear, p eriod of r ecord, h ours w orked, f atalities, f irst a id injuries, m edical ly t reated i njuries, r estricted w ork i njuries, d ays lost and lost t ime i njury r ate per 200,000 man -hours worked

Robust q uality m anagement s ystem (Quality Assurance/Quality Control – QA/QC) to e ectively execute the blockwork building construction s ervices.

Well de ned c ompany structure and veri able evidence of competency of employees.

Please express your interest by submitting an e -mail to AhafoNorthTenderBox@Newmont com indicating the name of your company, contact person , and telephone details You shou ld also include all the requisite document s demonstrating your ability to comply with the above minimum criteria.

All e xpression s of i nterest should be accompanied by a formal letter on the interested service provider’s letterhead (submitted to the above e -mail address), with subject “A HN _RFI -1 801 -2023 – Blockwork Building Construction Services ” by close of business (5:00 p m GMT) o n Friday , 2 8 th April , 2023