Agyapa Royalties deal not suspended – Finance Ministry

The Finance Ministry has debunked claims that its agreement with the Agyapa Mineral Royalties Limited has been suspended.

In a statement issued by its Public Relations Unit, the Ministry urged the public to disregard any publications to the effect as government works to engage stakeholders to ensure a deal that will be in the interest of Ghanaians.

A publication on September 3, 2020, had purported that the transaction via the Special Purpose Vehicle had been suspended following a meeting between government and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on September 2, 2020.

But the Ministry said “at no point was there any suggestion that the transaction is being halted as being reported.”

“The Ministry wishes to state that, the Agyapa Royalties transaction has not been suspended as is being reported on the Ghanaweb portal. We wish to also state that Mr. Mark Agyemang, Technical Manager of the Public Interest and Accountability Committee, who is purported to have said this in an interview with Starr FM, was not in this meeting,” the Ministry’s statement read.

CSOs had earlier demanded the withdrawal of the deal on the basis that the processes involved lack transparency.

But the statement clarified that “the main outcome of the meeting as acknowledged by both sides was that, the government had fulfilled the requirements of the law. There was however, the need for broader consultations to ensure the buy-in of all Ghanaians.”

“The meeting with the CSOs was one such consultation and the Ministry agreed with them to further broaden the consultations and to solicit further input from them and other Ghanaian constituencies going forward.”

The Finance Ministry, however, encouraged the media to, as a major stakeholder in the governance of the country, “seek clarity, especially on such emotive issues before publishing.”