The Chairman of the Mining Review Committee (MRC), Professor Akilakpa Sawyerr, has revealed that neither he nor the MRC were involved in the negotiations of the Gold Fields mining deal with government.
This is in spite of the MRC’s mandate as the negotiating team for government.
[contextly_sidebar id=”FJi3Awkxp3MsL0WMRGX97jslRY8mja9N”]The government of Ghana through Parliament agreed to a new development agreement with Gold Fields Ghana Limited which according to the 1992 constitution, is to see Goldfields invest 500 million dollars in its mines.
The new agreement also had a fiscal stability agreement which granted royalty and tax concession to the mining company.
But civil society group, the Third World Network (TWN), subsequently called on government and parliament to disclose details of the agreement because it suspects some illegalities took place, prompting them to write letters to a number of institutions including the MRC.
In a statement copied to Citi News, Prof. Sawyerr acknowledged receipt of the letter from the TWN asking the MRC to clarify its role in the development and negotiations of the Gold Fields agreements, but said the MRC was bypassed in the negotiations that produced the Gold Fields Development Agreement.
“In the circumstances, I feel obliged as Chairman of the MRC to state categorically that the MRC was not involved in the development of positions nor the conduct of the negotiations that produced the Gold Fields Development Agreements ratified on 17 March, 2016. Indeed, this negotiations were carried out on the blind side of the committee.”
He further indicated that he did not hear about the negotiations till after they had been concluded.
“As chair of the MRC, I did not get to hear about the negotiations till after they had been concluded even though I was in regular contact with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources at all times.”
Despite being sidelined, Prof. Sawyerr however stated that he still relayed his comments on the deal to government but they were ignored without explanation.
“In spite of information that my detailed comments had been received and favorably considered at the highest levels of government, the agreements remained essentially unchanged and were subsequently ratified by parliament in an expedited process, which dispenses with the standing Order requirement of minimum 48-hour between notice of a motion for ratification and its movement and acceptance – for reasons that are not stated.”
Government should come clean on the deal
Speaking in reaction to the response from Prof. Sawyer, the Coordinator of the Third World Network, Dr. Yao Graham, commended Prof. Sawyerr for responding to their letter but noted that critical questions pertaining to the deal remain unanswered.
“The question of the legality of the tax and royalty concessions given to Goldfields have not been answered. The request for the disclosure of the docket has not been answered. The request for Parliament’s Mines and Energy report that parliament used to justify the agreement has not been answered and the request also for disclosure of who had been involved has also not been answered.”
He further warned that Government’s silence on the matter was not in the interest of Ghanaians and urged them to quickly come clean on the matter.
“Silence is not in the interest of the Ghanaian people and I think these agencies, particularly the minister, the minerals commission and parliament and the Attorney General, have the responsibility to come out and clear the air.”
Dr. Graham reiterated his group’s position on the matter to the effect that the fiscal terms agreed between Government and Goldfields are illegal and not economically justified.
“Our first position is that the fiscal terms, that is the tax and royalty concessions given to Gold fields are illegal. They cannot be justified under the terms of the Minerals and Mining Act so there is an issue of illegality.”
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana