The Lands and Natural Resources Ministry is scheduled to present the Mining Lease Agreement between the government and Barari DV Ghana Limited, Atlantic Lithium’s local subsidiary, today, November 11.
The agreement covers the extraction of lithium and other minerals at Mankessim in the Central Region.
After more than two years of delay, this marks the clearest sign yet that Ghana’s first lithium project may be moving forward.
If the presentation goes ahead as scheduled, it would signal that the renegotiated agreement is ready for legislative scrutiny and a step closer to ratification.
The document will then be referred to the relevant committee for detailed consideration before any resolution for ratification is presented to the full House.
The revised terms of the lease have not yet been disclosed, but once parliamentary procedures begin, the document should be made public for citizens to review and provide feedback.
However, items listed under the “Presentation of Papers” can sometimes be deferred, so all eyes will be on Tuesday’s sitting to see whether the long-awaited lease finally makes its way to the floor.
Whether it does will test the government’s resolve to bring clarity and transparency to one of Ghana’s most anticipated mining deals.
Update
The Lands Minister, Armah-Kofi Buah, has laid the renegotiated lithium mining lease before Parliament.
The Speaker has referred the document to the Committee on Lands and Natural Resources for scrutiny before it returns to the plenary for debate and possible ratification
