Audio By Carbonatix
Barely 24 hours after the controversial Sliding Scale Mineral Royalties bill matured into law, the Chairman of Parliament’s Subsidiary Legislation Committee, Patrick Yaw Boamah, has accused the government of negotiating in bad faith with the nation's mining giants.
Addressing a news conference in Parliament on Tuesday, 10th March 2026, Mr. Boamah revealed that despite explicit promises to cushion the industry against the new regime, no such relief has been tabled before the House.
The 1% pledge: A missing safety net
The core of the dispute involves a government commitment to reduce the Growth and Sustainability Levy (GSL)—formerly known as the Growth and Stabilisation Levy—from 3% to 1% for mining companies.
This reduction was intended to offset the increased financial burden of the sliding scale, which allows the state to adjust royalty rates in tandem with rising global mineral prices.
Mr. Boamah argued that the government’s failure to deliver this reduction suggests a lack of transparency regarding the true impact of the new law on corporate investment plans.
“The government should honour their promise of reducing the growth and stabilisation level from 3% to 1% to balance the hardship on the companies. It means that you knew of the effect of this sliding scale and royalties regime on the revenues and the investment plan of these mining companies,” Mr. Boamah stated.
Risk to global reputation
The Committee Chairman warned that the delay smacks of "dishonesty" and could have dire consequences for Ghana’s status as a top-tier investment destination. He noted that since these firms are global entities, their reports to international headquarters will reflect a broken regulatory framework.
“They will not take us seriously because, to the best of their knowledge, this is not the right framework to attract investment. So they will start looking elsewhere. That is my worry,” he added.
A legislative void
Despite high-level consultations and research, Mr. Boamah confirmed that there is currently "nothing before Parliament" to actualise the promised tax relief. He challenged the government to stop the delays, noting that if any cushioning measures had been introduced, the legislative press corps would have been the first to see them.
The maturity of the royalties law comes at a time of heightened regional competition for mining capital.
With the Minority already raising alarms over revenue volatility and firm stability, the call for the 1% GSL reduction is being framed as a necessary move to prevent an exodus of "hard private capital" from the extractive sector.
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