The opposition NDC says that there is an urgent need for the government to implement changes to the laws and regulations of government mining, including green mining, to maximise the country’s benefits from the resources therein.
In a statement reacting to recent discussions around the Ghana-Barari DV lithium deal, the NDC argued that the existing laws and policies on mining, which embody traditional gold mining, have not favoured the country over time.
While calling for a critical review, NDC called on the government not to extend the existing laws and policies on mining to green minerals, adding that the lease and concession arrangements are outdated and needed to be scrapped.
“The NDC holds the view that the green minerals of the country should not be exploited based on the existing mining laws and policies, which are predominantly tailored for gold mining and have not benefited the nation over the years.”
“We are of the firm opinion that it is about time the existing colonial model of mining lease concession agreements was reviewed. New models for the exploitation of our mineral resources, such as joint ventures and service agreements, that provide for equitable benefit sharing, enhanced local participation, and value addition, should be considered as part of the review of the laws and policies governing our extractive sector,” NDC’s statement noted in part.
NDC urged a review of the mining regime “that provides for the sustainable funding and strengthening of the Ghana Geological Survey Authority to engage in reconnaissance and prospecting, particularly in relation to green minerals.”
The party also argued that the government should have extensively engaged key stakeholders in the extractive industry prior to signing off on the contract with Barari DV.
In addition, NDC raised “fundamental” issues about the lease agreement, including a faint requirement for Bariri DV to establish a plant, the absence of specific provisions that highlight Ghana’s control over the lithium value chain, the lack of clarity on the corporate status of Barari DV in respect of taxation, and the relatively low rate of royalties accruing to Ghana.
The NDC stated that the deal is not in the best interest of Ghana and called on parliament not to “consider the ratification of the lease agreement until all these pertinent issues are satisfactorily addressed in the best interest of Ghanaians.”
