Policy analyst and natural resource governance advocate Dr. Steve Manteaw has raised concerns over what he describes as inadequate consultation in setting royalty thresholds under Ghana’s proposed mining royalty framework. Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, he said the debate over mining royalties stems from earlier amendments to Ghana’s mining law, which left the responsibility of determining royalty rates to the sector minister. The Act 703 was amended, and we provided that the minister shall prescribe the royalty rate for mining companies in Ghana.” “But in the absence of that prescription, the status quo will remain. So 5%, which was what the companies were paying at the time, remains until now.” According to him, the issue gained renewed attention during discussions around Ghana’s lithium deal. And I think this whole discussion came about as a result of this lithium deal.” Dr. Manteaw noted that calls for reforms in the mining royalty regime date back more than a de...