The Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) has raised concerns over the speed with which ministerial approval was granted in the Damang mining lease deal awarded to Engineers and Planners Ltd, with the organisation warning that the process could raise questions about transparency. According to a reports, NRGI Country Manager Patrick Stephenson said the timing of the approval was unusually quick and deserved closer public scrutiny.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story, Stephenson questioned how the recommendation from the Tender Committee appeared to receive ministerial approval within a very short period.
“In two hours, that is a little too quick and may give cause for worry,” he said.
He explained that Ghana’s mineral licensing process is typically expected to pass through several layers of technical and administrative review before a final decision is taken, and suggested that the speed of the approval risks creating a perception problem even if due process was followed.
Stephenson also described the final phase of the approval process as lacking sufficient public visibility, arguing that the public should not only be told who won the bid but also be given access to the assessment that informed the decision.
“We would like to see that the results of this work — the assessment — are published, not just the decision of the minister,” he said.
The concerns come after the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources announced that Engineers and Planners Ltd had emerged as the preferred bidder following what government described as a competitive and rigorous tender process. The ministry said the company was recommended based on its technical strength, financing capacity and plans to extend the life of the Damang mine.
The issue has since added to broader debate around the Damang lease process, with growing calls from policy observers and political actors for greater transparency in the handling of strategic national resource agreements.
