Bright Simons, the Vice President of Imani Africa, has highlighted the reasons he believes Ghana should negotiate a more favorable mineral agreement with Barari DV Ghana Limited for lithium extraction.
He underscores the necessity for reevaluating the current 10% royalty negotiation, urging the government to secure more advantageous terms.
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Numerous experts, including former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo and the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), join the call for the government to reconsider the allegedly poorly negotiated 10% royalty deal with Barari DV Ghana Limited.
Despite these concerns, the government asserts that the existing deal is the best for Ghana.
Speaking on Joy News on December 14, 2025, Bright Simons contends that Ghana’s generosity in expediting the process for Atlantic Lithium, the holding firm for Barari DV Ghana Limited, should be recognized as a benefit translating into revenue.
He emphasizes the concessional treatment Ghana provided during the application process, contrasting it with challenges faced by the company in other locations.
Simons points out that Ghana allowed deferral of certain investments and flexible terms, which might not have been the case in other countries insisting on the latest technology upfront.
Although we are not demanding all of these things, we would like you to install synthetic liners in every pond before we grant you environmental permits.
Thus, he said, “These are incredible concessions, and they ought to take that into consideration and work out a similar arrangement with us as they did with Piedmont, where the variance is not as great as we are charging.”
