Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Isaac Andrews Tandoh, has dismissed claims that government is deliberately delaying the renewal of the mining lease for Gold Fields’ Tarkwa mine.
According to a Monday, May 25, 2026, report by Reuters, Government is committed to renewing the lease, but says the process will be strictly scrutinised before any approval is granted.
Government officials, Mr. Tandoh says, per the Reuters report, had met with leadership of Gold Fields as recent as Friday, May 22, 2026.
Before making a presentation at the ministerial level, Mr. Tandoh says Gold Fields would first have to present its development plans to a technical committee at the Minerals Commission.
Following the completion of those processes, Government would then take a final decision on the matter.
“It won’t be business as usual where we just automatically renew the lease,” Mr Tandoh told Reuters.
Meanwhile, the report further indicated that Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has said there is no blanket nationalisation policy by the Government in the mining sector.
Rather, the Minister says Government was seeking partnerships that would transfer expertise and create more opportunities for Ghanaians within the industry.
Reuters noted that some civil society and community groups have urged Government not to renew the Tarkwa lease, arguing that host communities have not benefited sufficiently from the mine’s operations.
Concerns over investor confidence have also emerged following Government’s decision in April 2025 to reject Gold Fields’ application to renew the lease for the Damang mine before assuming operational control of the asset.
Earlier in May 2026, the Ghana Chamber of Mines warned that lease revocations and uncertainty surrounding renewals could create the perception that “security of tenure in Ghana is not guaranteed,” potentially affecting investment inflows into the sector.
Reuters further reported that the Tarkwa mine remains a key asset for Gold Fields, producing about 427,000 ounces of gold in 2025. The current lease for the mine is expected to expire in 2027.
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