The Majority in Parliament has stated that the 10 per cent royalty agreement signed by the Akufo-Addo administration with Barari DV Ghana Limited for lithium mining was inconsistent with Ghana’s existing legal framework.
According to the caucus, the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2010, sets a fixed royalty rate of 5 per cent for mining companies—making the 10 per cent provision in the earlier agreement unlawful. This position follows the presentation of a revised lithium mining agreement by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, which now includes the legally required 5 per cent royalty rate.
The revision has drawn strong opposition from the Minority, who argue that the new terms are less beneficial to the state.
Addressing journalists, Chairman of the Lands and Natural Resources Committee, Collins Dauda, said Parliament is working to amend relevant legislation to align national mining laws with the latest agreement and ensure full legal 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 emphasised that Parliament’s responsibility is to ensure that mining agreements are grounded in law and that policy reforms guarantee clarity, consistency, and proper oversight.
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