The Ghana mining bill now before Parliament is expected to be replaced with a revised version that restores a 20 year maximum lease and clarifies provisions that have worried miners, three people familiar with the matter said.
Two senior government officials and a mining executive said the new draft will cap mining leases at 20 years, matching a policy position Mines Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah set out in July.
What would change in the Ghana mining bill
The Minerals and Mining Bill, 2026, as published by Parliament, would limit new leases to 15 years or the projected life of the mine, whichever is shorter. Current law allows leases of up to 30 years. The bill would also let the minister require mining companies to issue the state a special share.
A special share gives the state consent rights over certain company decisions without requiring it to hold a large stake.
A mines ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, blamed an error. “There was a mistake with the document that eventually went to Parliament,” he said, adding that it will be corrected. The sources did not say when the revised bill would be reintroduced.
Industry says talks are working
The Ghana Chamber of Mines said this week that the minister’s power to demand a special share already exists under the 2006 Minerals and Mining Act and is largely carried over into the new bill, though with tougher penalties for refusing.
Chamber Chief Executive Ken Ashigbey said talks with the authorities had produced workable compromises, including the 20 year lease term, and that remaining issues would be taken up with Parliament.
Shorter leases give miners less time to recover the cost of building a mine, which is why the cap drew pushback. Ghana is Africa’s largest gold producer, and gold dominates its exports, so changes to the rules matter well beyond the industry.
Ghana is not alone in rewriting the rules. Zimbabwe plans to ban lithium concentrate exports in 2027 and Mali adopted a new mining code in 2023, as governments try to capture more value from high commodity prices.
Gold above $4,000 an ounce has sharpened that appetite. Miners argue they need stable terms to keep investing.
What happens next
No timetable has been given. Until the new bill is tabled, the 15 year cap remains in the published text. It is also unclear whether the replacement will arrive as a new bill or a formal amendment.
Other pressures on the sector continue. Perseus Mining chief executive Craig Jones said this week that higher fiscal costs in Ghana had not materially changed the company’s plans, which include a $140 million cutback at its Edikan mine and exploration to extend mine life.
Operators including Newmont and Zijin Mining Group also have until Dec. 31 to hand certain mining activities to qualifying local contractors.
The change would calm one of the industry’s worries. It would not end the debate, since remaining issues will go to Parliament and the wording is unseen. Investors will want to read it.
