Lands Minister lays Ewoyaa Lithium mining lease before Parliament after a 2-year delay

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources has laid the Lithium Mining Lease before Parliament, two years after the official announcement of the deal.

The move marks a renewed effort by the government to have the agreement approved after an earlier attempt in the 8th Parliament failed to secure the necessary endorsement.

Addressing Parliament on November 11, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, said: “Speaker, as you know, the lease was presented indeed in the 8th Parliament for ratification pursuant to Article 268.1 of the 1992 Constitution and Section 5.4 of Act 703.

It was not ratified before the House adjourned. Since then, the basis on which the agreement, especially the price of lithium, at the time of the negotiation was about $3,000, price of lithium has fallen. The current price is about $630, making the project really at risk in going forward.”

He explained that the company involved had requested a review of key provisions to continue with the project.

“The company appealed that if they were to go forward, certain key provisions must be looked at. Indeed, it was very clear in public knowledge that lithium prices had fallen. We took advantage of, at the time, the high lithium prices of $3,000 to, for example, move beyond the normal royalty of 5% and move it to 10% and other provisions.”

Mr Buah noted that three critical areas had been examined in response to the company’s request.

“Based on their request, three key areas have been looked at. The royalty rate adjustment, VAT deferral on capital inputs, and Saltpond transshipment facility approval. And we are here in Parliament to get ratification in accordance with Article 268 of the 1992 Constitution.”

However, the laying of the lease was immediately challenged by the Member of Parliament for Damongo and former Lands Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor.

“These statements made by the current Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, the terms of it, is not different from the terms of the explanatory statement I made in this House as Minister for Lands and Natural Resources,” Mr Jinapor said.

He asked the Speaker to reject the laying of the lease, arguing that the fundamental terms of the agreement remained unchanged.

He further challenged the government to explain what had changed since the previous agreement.

“Mr Speaker, the fundamental question that the average Ghanaian will ask, Mr Speaker, is what has changed, what has changed in the agreement between the government of Ghana and Barari DV in 2025.”

Mr Jinapor emphasised the importance of Ghana fully benefiting from its lithium resources.

“Mr Speaker, I conclude by submitting that the position you took in the eighth Parliament was for the good of Ghana. Lithium is a rare resource. Lithium is the mineral of the future, as the experts say. Lithium indeed, Mr. Speaker, is the foundation of the current effort of green transition. Lithium, Mr Speaker, is the bedrock that the world is attempting to use to fight climate change. And so when the Speaker insisted that Ghana should get the full benefit of the exploitation of our mineral resources, one could not disagree with you.

The delay in the approval process has put the lives of residents in Ewoyaa and adjoining communities on hold, as they are unable to farm or build on their lands taken for the mining.

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