The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, has stated that the Mining Lease granted to Barari DV Ltd will be ratified by Parliament.
At a press briefing on Thursday in Accra, he said the ratification of the lithium Mining Lease is in accordance with Article 268(1) of the Constitution and Section 5(4) of Act 703.
He noted that before such an agreement can be laid before Parliament, it must go through several processes, including securing Cabinet’s approval.
“The processes are ongoing and once completed, the agreement would be laid before Parliament for consideration and ratification,” he added.
According to Mr Jinapor, calls to grant Mining Leases through a tender process do not apply to this agreement.
He noted that international best practice requires that where a company undertakes exploration and makes commercial find for minerals, the company is entitled to a right of first refusal to the grant of a Mining Lease, subject to regulatory compliance.
“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.
Irene Wirekoaa Osei, ISD
