Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has expressed skepticism regarding Ghana’s 10% stake in the forthcoming Lithium agreement with Barari DV Limited.
He contends that the 10% royalties is nothing but a figure quoted to sound good in the heads of Ghanaians.
He asserted that, once lithium mining begins, the actual benefits to Ghana from the claimed 10 percent share may not be as advantageous as the sector Minister suggests.
He referenced the uranium renegotiation deal between Niger and France, illustrating how the country initially negotiated for 12 percent royalties but ultimately received a meager sum from the agreement.
Mr. Pratt voiced his dissent to the deal asking, “even in calculating the payment of royalties and so on, what methods are we using in order to ensure we avoid the process of the use of what they call ‘smart accounting’ which makes nonsense of the absolute figures?”.
He also downplayed the significance of Ghana’s representation on the Board of Atlantic Lithium Ltd, emphasizing its role in ensuring the company fulfills its commitments under the deal.
“Representation on the board does not necessarily guarantee equity. It does not guarantee us that our interest will be pursued,” Mr. Pratt asserted.
Kwesi Pratt delivered these comments while contributing in a panel discussion on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” morning show.