Government has approved the award of the Damang Mining Lease to local mining firm, Engineers and Planners Limited (E&P). This approval follows the conclusion of a competitive tender process conducted under the Minerals and Mining (Licensing) Regulations, 2012 (LI 2176).
The approval comes after the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources received and reviewed the final report of a Tender Committee. The committee was constituted by the Minerals Commission in line with Regulation 261 of LI 2176.
According to the Ministry, the Tender Committee recommended E&P as the successful bidder after a rigorous multi-stage evaluation process. This recommendation has now received the formal endorsement of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, MP.
“The Minister has approved the recommendation and directed the Minerals Commission to take all the requisite regulatory steps to give effect to the approval,” the Ministry said in a statement issued Tuesday.
The Damang Mining Lease was subjected to a public competitive tender in accordance with Regulations 258 to 263 of LI 2176.
A total of four companies submitted bids by the stipulated deadline on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. This date also served as the official tender opening day.
The companies were Vortex Resources Mining Group, Engineers and Planners Ltd, Heath Goldfields Ltd and Maripoma Mining Services Ltd.
All tenders were assessed based on guidelines issued by the Minister pursuant to Regulation 258(4) of LI 2176.
As part of the first phase of the evaluation, the bids were screened against mandatory eligibility requirements outlined under Phase I, Annexure C of the Tender Notice. These included:
- Proof of a wholly Ghanaian-owned company
- Valid tax, VAT and SSNIT clearance certificates
- Valid certificate of incorporation
- Evidence of payment of the GHS100,000 application fee
The Tender Committee determined that only Engineers and Planners Ltd and Heath Goldfields Ltd satisfied all mandatory requirements.
Vortex Resources Mining Group and Maripoma Mining Services Ltd were disqualified at this stage for failing to submit the full set of required documentation and were consequently deemed non-responsive.
Following the preliminary screening, the two responsive bids were subjected to detailed technical and financial evaluation. This was in line with Regulation 260(7) of LI 2176.
The Tender Committee reported that Heath Goldfields Ltd failed to attain the minimum technical qualifying score of 80 percent. This resulted in the exclusion of its financial proposal from further consideration, in accordance with the tender rules.
Engineers and Planners Ltd emerged as the highest-ranked bidder after the full evaluation.
In its report, the Tender Committee stated that E&P’s bid met all mandatory conditions and provided documentary evidence of access to financing exceeding the minimum threshold of US$500 million.
The Committee further noted that E&P demonstrated “experience and knowledge relevant to the operations, infrastructure, and geology of the Damang Mine.” E&P also submitted detailed proposals for mine development, including measures aimed at extending the life of the mine beyond 10 years.
“On the basis of the applicable evaluation criteria and scoring, the tender submitted by Engineers and Planners Ltd attained the highest evaluated score,” the Committee concluded. The Committee also added that the company presented “the most viable tender” and the highest demonstrated capability to operate the Damang Mine.
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources commended the Minerals Commission and members of the Tender Committee for what it described as their professionalism and dedication to a critical national assignment.
Government reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the Damang Mine continued to contribute meaningfully to Ghana’s economic growth. This includes job creation and sustainable mineral development.
The Minerals Commission has now been formally instructed to commence all necessary regulatory processes to operationalise the award of the lease.
The statement was signed by Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, MP, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.
Source: businesspostonline
