Collins Dauda, Chairman of the Lands and Natural Resources Committee
The Majority Caucus in Parliament has clarified that the 10 percent royalty rate included in the original lithium mining agreement signed between the Akufo-Addo administration and Barari DV Ghana Limited was inconsistent with Ghana’s existing legal framework.
According to the caucus, the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2010, prescribes a fixed royalty rate of 5 percent for all mining companies, rendering the earlier 10 percent provision unlawful.
This position comes following the presentation of a revised lithium agreement by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, which now complies with the legally mandated 5 percent royalty rate.
Government submits revised lithium agreement to parliament
The revised agreement, however, has drawn strong criticism from the Minority, who argue that the new terms are less beneficial to the state than the original deal.
Addressing journalists in Accra on November 25, 2025, Chairman of the Lands and Natural Resources Committee, Collins Dauda, said Parliament is taking steps to amend relevant legislation to ensure that Ghana’s mining laws align with current agreements and national interests.
“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,” he explained.
“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 added.
Dauda emphasised that Parliament’s role is to ensure that all mining contracts are firmly grounded in law, and that upcoming policy and legislative reforms provide clarity, consistency, and proper oversight of the sector.
Meanwhile, the government has submitted the revised lithium mining agreement between the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and Barari DV Ghana Limited to Parliament for approval.
The updated agreement covers the extraction of lithium and other associated minerals in the Central Region. It follows a request by Barari DV Ghana Limited to review the lease terms due to a significant drop in global lithium prices, which has affected the project’s viability.