GHANA’S government has committed to renewing the mining lease for Gold Fields’ Tarkwa operation but has ruled out an automatic extension, saying the South African miner must first submit its development plans for formal government review.
Isaac Andrews Tandoh, CEO of the Minerals Commission, told Reuters Ghana was not stalling the process with Gold Fields, saying officials had met with Gold Fields last Friday. But he added Gold Fields was first required to present its plans to a technical committee, followed by a ministerial-level presentation before any decision would be taken.
“It won’t be business as usual where we just automatically renew the lease,” Tandoh said.
Lands and natural resources minister Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah said the government was not pursuing blanket nationalisation but was seeking mining partners that would leave behind expertise and create opportunities for Ghanaians in the industry.
The Tarkwa mine, one of Gold Fields’ most significant assets, produced around 427,000 ounces of gold in 2025. Its lease expires in 2027.
The renewed scrutiny follows Ghana’s rejection last year of Gold Fields’ application to renew its lease for the Damang mine, after which the government assumed operational control of the asset. Some civil society and community groups have called on authorities to take a similar approach to Tarkwa, arguing that host communities have not shared sufficiently in the mine’s benefits.
The Ghana Chamber of Mines warned this month that lease uncertainty risked signalling to investors that security of tenure in the country could not be relied upon.
