Media personality and Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources’ Media Relations Officer, Paa Kwesi Schandorf, has highlighted what he describes as a major shift in Ghana’s approach to its lithium agreement following a press conference he moderated at the Ministry on Tuesday afternoon.
Schandorf stated that “this afternoon, I had the honour of moderating a press conference at the Lands Ministry which marks a major turning point in Ghana’s lithium agreement.”
According to him, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, delivered a firm message that the country’s interest must remain at the centre of every negotiation.
“The Minister’s message was clear: Ghana must win across the full price cycle, in that the country should benefit when prices rise, and should not lose when prices fall.”
At the press conference, the Minister announced government’s intention to introduce a sliding-scale royalty mechanism to ensure fairness and sustainability in the lithium value chain.
Schandorf explained that “the Minister, Honourable Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah announced that Government is proposing a lawful sliding-scale royalty mechanism.
This structure is designed to protect investments and jobs by maintaining a competitive base royalty during periods of low prices, thereby ensuring the project’s viability.”
He further noted that the proposed structure is also designed to boost the country’s gains during favourable market conditions.
“This patriotic move will also maximize national benefits by automatically increasing the royalty rate when prices exceed an agreed threshold, ensuring that Ghana secures a greater share of the value during market upswings,” he said.
Schandorf expressed confidence in the direction being taken, insisting that Ghanaians stand to benefit the most from the revised approach to the lithium agreement.
“Indeed, Ghanaians will be the biggest winners, and that is exactly the focus of the Minister. Surely, victory lies ahead with the man, Armah-Kofi Buah.”
