The Institute for Economic Research and Public Policy (IERPP) has raised concerns over what it describes as a lack of transparency in the Damang mining contract, calling for stronger due process reforms in the award and management of mining concessions in Ghana.

The Damang mine was recently handed to Engineers and Planners, owned by Ghanaian businessman Ibrahim Mahama, after a bidding process.

Speaking in an interview on Joy FM's News Night on Monday, the Executive Director of IERPP, Isaac Boadi, said the handling of key mining agreements continues to raise governance questions, particularly regarding how state assets are transferred or allocated to private entities.

He noted that while Ghana must continue to support indigenous businesses, such support must be anchored on transparency and strict adherence to established procurement and licensing procedures.

“We will support any indigenous business. We will do that any day,” he said.

However, he stressed that the concern raised by the Institute is not about ownership but about the process used in awarding the contract.

“We only challenged the opaqueness of that particular contract… how it was purchased, how it was awarded to the business person,” he explained.

The Institute referenced the Damang mining contract as part of broader concerns about governance in the extractive sector, warning that unclear procedures risk undermining public confidence and accountability.

It also argued that Ghana’s natural resource management system requires urgent reforms to ensure transparency in contract awards and to prevent avoidable losses to the state.

"We think that going forward, we need to be very careful how we also award contracts,” he cautioned.

The IERPP further highlighted that its broader assessment of the sector identified multiple threats to Ghana’s natural resources, including weak oversight, environmental degradation, and limited civic engagement in accountability processes.

The Institute is calling for reforms to strengthen due process in mining agreements and improve transparency in the management of the country’s mineral wealth.