Ghana presents mining leases in parliament
The Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, has submitted mining lease agreements to Parliament for consideration. These agreements involve bauxite and lithium mining, targeting key mineral-rich regions in the country.
Tabled leases
The Ministry submitted a lease agreement with Ashanti Bauxite Limited Company for mining bauxite in the Nyinahini Block 2 Area, located in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region. Additionally, a lease agreement with Barari DV Ghana Limited was presented to explore lithium in the Ewoyaa area of the Central Region.
These agreements were laid before Parliament by the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, on behalf of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources. The agreements are seeking parliamentary approval to commence mining activities in the specified areas.
In response to these submissions, Speaker Alban Sumana Bagbin referred the agreements to the Committee on Lands and Natural Resources for further consideration and reporting. This step is crucial for ensuring that the proposed mining activities undergo a comprehensive review process.
The Minority in Parliament has raised significant concerns regarding the procedure, stressing the importance of not rushing the approval of such critical projects. They emphasized the need for a thorough review to ensure due diligence and careful consideration of all aspects before proceeding with the mining activities.
Ghana has 20 large-scale mining companies producing gold, diamonds, bauxite and manganese; over 300 registered small scale mining groups; and 90 mine support service companies. Gold contributes over 90% of the total mineral exports
