The Majority in Parliament has argued that the 10 per cent royalty arrangement signed by the Akufo-Addo administration with Barari DV Ghana Limited for lithium mining contradicts Ghana’s current legal framework.
The caucus explained that under the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2010, mining firms are subject to a fixed royalty rate of 5 per cent. As such, the 10 per cent clause in the initial agreement was deemed illegal. This stance comes after the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources presented a revised lithium mining contract, which now reflects the statutory 5 per cent royalty rate.
The updated deal has faced sharp criticism from the Minority, who insist that the revised terms are less advantageous to the nation.
Speaking to the press, Chairman of the Lands and Natural Resources Committee, Collins Dauda, noted that Parliament is taking steps to amend relevant laws to harmonize Ghana’s mining regulations with the new agreement and ensure full compliance.
“The government is taking steps to review the laws. And importantly, to review the policy relating to mining in the country. As gatekeepers, we make the laws, and we expect the laws to be implemented.
“We expect the laws to be obeyed. We cannot make laws expecting implementation and obedience, and, at the same time, do something that runs against the law,” he said.
Dauda underscored that Parliament’s duty is to guarantee that mining contracts are legally sound and that policy reforms provide clarity, consistency, and effective oversight.
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