Government has formally handed over the Damang Mine, formerly operated by Gold Fields Ghana Limited, to Engineers and Planners Limited following the company’s successful bid for the concession on April 7, after the Minerals Commission reviewed submissions from several companies.

The handover ceremony was held at the mine site on Saturday, April 18, where the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, performed the formal transfer.

Speaking after the ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer of Engineers and Planners, Ibrahim Mahama, pledged his commitment to demonstrating that Ghanaians are capable of investing in themselves, while promising major investments to benefit surrounding communities.

“I would say that, look, if we all put our minds together, this is a success story. And the plan I have for Damang Mine is not a joke. I just want to prove that we can invest in ourselves in this country,” he said.

Mr Mahama also outlined ambitious infrastructure plans, including the construction of a concrete road linking Damang to Cape Coast within two years, and the development of an airport within six months.

He said the projects are intended to drive economic growth and demonstrate the capacity of local companies to manage large-scale mining operations.

Background to the takeover

Discussions about the transition began about a year ago when the mining lease of Gold Fields Ghana Limited, under which it had operated for about two decades, expired.

Government, as part of its commitment to boosting local participation, declined to renew the lease and ordered the start of a competitive tender process to identify a new operator. However, it granted a one-year extension to allow for an orderly transition ahead of the final handover, which occurred over the weekend.

The bidding process

As the mining lease for Gold Fields neared expiry, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources announced a competitive bidding process on March 24 to select a new operator for the Damang Mine.

About four companies submitted bids before the March 31 deadline, which were reviewed by the Minerals Commission under the Minerals and Mining (Licensing) Regulations, 2012 (LI 2176).

Following the evaluation, Engineers and Planners, owned by Ibrahim Mahama, emerged as the winning bidder after meeting all requirements, including technical, financial, and regulatory criteria.

The Minister assured transparency and job protection during the process, following concerns raised by Gold Fields workers.

Authorities indicated that bidders were required to demonstrate strong financial capacity, including access to at least $500 million in funding, as well as technical expertise and operational readiness. Engineers and Planners met these requirements and secured the highest evaluation score.

The Damang Mine, located in Ghana’s Western Region, is one of the country’s major gold-producing assets and has played a significant role in the national mining industry for decades.

Government officials said the tender process and eventual handover are intended to sustain operations, protect jobs, and strengthen local ownership in Ghana’s mining sector.

Minority reacts to transition

The Minority in Parliament has stated that the Damang Gold Mine now under the Engineers and Planners (E&P) Limited did not go through a “proper transparent and fair manner”.

In an interview with the media on Tuesday, April 7, the Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Lands and Natural Resources Committee, Akwasi Konadu, insisted that the process was rushed and failed to meet the necessary standards.

“The same ministry goes ahead in doing that job on behalf of the President, sets up a committee with agencies appointed directly by the minister to oversee these processes and executes these processes just under four days. And you find this as going through a proper transparent and fair manner?

“You see, local participation is something that we all encourage but the process must be above par. That is what we look for, not anything. It must be so open such that any other person could put in a fortified bid. In this one, the person and the object are so bad that they do not speak well of us,” he added.

The Minority Caucus’ statement follows comments by the Acting Director of Legal Affairs at the Minerals Commission, Josef Iroko, who insisted that the handover of the Damang Mine to Engineers and Planners Limited (E&P) followed due process.

His comment comes amid allegations of favouritism in the awarding of the Damang mining lease to Engineers and Planners Limited. On April 1, the government initiated the official process to transfer the Damang Gold Mine from Gold Fields to Engineers and Planners after months of dispute over ownership