Parliament will approve the mining lease awarded to Barari DV Ltd, according to Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Samuel Abu Jinapor.
In a press conference held in Accra on Thursday, he stated that the ratification of the lithium mining lease is compliant with Act 703’s Section 5(4) and Article 268(1) of the Constitution.
He pointed out that an agreement of this kind has to pass through a number of procedures, including getting Cabinet approval, before it can be presented to Parliament.
“The processes are ongoing and once completed, the agreement would be laid before Parliament for consideration and ratification,” he added.
Mr. Jinapor claims that this agreement is exempt from calls for the granting of mining leases through a competitive process.
He pointed out that, subject to regulatory compliance, international best practices mandate that, when a company engages in exploration and makes a commercial discovery of minerals, the company shall have the right of first refusal with regard to the granting of a mining lease.
“This international best practice is given legal backing by section 39(2) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703). Needless to point out that the use of the tender process is only feasible where geological data already exists and the State is looking for partners to go straight into mining,” he said.