The Majority Caucus on the Lands and Natural Resources Committee has put the spotlight on the need for public participation and legal clarity in Ghana’s lithium mining negotiations, insisting that the country’s mineral wealth must be managed through open and transparent processes.
Committee Chairman Alhaji Collins Dauda, speaking to the media, outlined the evolving status of the lithium mining agreement currently before Parliament. He drew attention to the significant differences between the original deal presented in 2024 and the revised version now under consideration.
According to Dauda, the initial agreement between Ghana and Barari DV Ghana Limited, tabled by then-Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Abu Jinapor, was the result of consultations with traditional authorities and state agencies. However, during parliamentary scrutiny, concerns surfaced over the royalty rate and the fairness of the proposed terms.
The 2024 agreement recommended a 10% royalty on lithium, a figure that contradicted Ghana’s Minerals and Mining Act, which, after a 2010 amendment, sets a flat royalty rate of 5%. The committee advised that the law needed to be amended to accommodate this higher rate, but no such amendment occurred, rendering the agreement legally non-compliant and halting its ratification.
The new agreement, submitted by the current administration, aligns royalty payments with the legal 5% rate, with Dauda stressing that any future increase would require a formal amendment to the law.
To ensure a fair and inclusive process, the committee has launched a wide-ranging public consultation, publishing notices and inviting stakeholder input on the agreement’s terms and the country’s broader approach to lithium mining.
Dauda assured that no agreement will be ratified until all legal requirements are met and the perspectives of Ghanaians are fully considered, reaffirming the committee’s commitment to a transparent and beneficial outcome for the nation.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com
