The Minority in Parliament has criticised Ghana’s revised lithium agreement with Barari DV, describing it as a missed opportunity to maximise the country’s benefits from the emerging green minerals sector.
Speaking to the media, the Ranking Member on the Lands and Natural Resources Committee, Kwaku Ampratwum Sarpong, said Ghana’s effective benefit under the new framework remains at five percent, offering no significant improvement over the earlier proposal.
He warned that lithium, as Ghana’s first green mineral, will set the tone for future critical mineral agreements, cautioning that weak arrangements could establish a poor precedent for the country.
The Minority also raised concerns about the consultation process leading to the final agreement, arguing that inputs from civil society organisations, traditional authorities and affected mining communities were largely overlooked.
Mr. Ampratwum Sarpong further pointed to what he described as inconsistencies in policy positions, noting that while the National Democratic Congress (NDC) previously opposed a 10 percent arrangement under the former administration, it is now defending a lower five percent deal within the same legal framework.
Describing the situation as a policy regression, the Minority has called on the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources to reopen negotiations on the lithium agreement to secure better value for Ghana and to ensure royalty regulations are transparent, inclusive and informed by credible data.
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