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Damang Mine Lease: Government approves Engineers & Planners as successful bidder

According to the statement, E&P met all the required criteria and stood out among the competing bids

Tue, 7 Apr 2026 Source: www.ghanaweb.com

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has upheld the outcome of a competitive tender process for the Damang Mining Lease, approving indigenous mining firm Engineers and Planners Ltd (E&P) as the successful bidder.

In a press release dated April 7, 2026, the Ministry stated that it had received the report of a Tender Committee set up by the Minerals Commission under the Minerals and Mining (Licensing) Regulations, 2012 (LI 2176).

Pursuant to the Committee’s recommendations, the Commission proposed that the Damang Mining Lease be granted to E&P, a decision approved by the sector minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, who has also directed that all regulatory processes be completed to give effect to the approval.

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According to the statement, E&P met all the required criteria and stood out among the competing bids.

The Ministry noted that the company’s proposal "satisfied all mandatory requirements set out in the Notice and provided documentary evidence of access to financing, meeting the USD 500 million minimum threshold."

It further indicated that the indigenous company demonstrated strong technical capacity and a clear development plan for the mine.

"The tender documentation indicates that the Company possesses experience and knowledge relevant to the operations, infrastructure, and geology of the Damang Mine and submitted proposals for the development of the same, including measures intended to extend the life of mine beyond ten (10) years," it added.

The Tender Committee, according to the statement, ranked E&P highest after evaluating all submissions.

"Based on the applicable evaluation criteria and scoring, the tender submitted by Engineers and Planners Ltd attained the highest evaluated score. In summary, the Company demonstrated the highest capability to operate the Damang mine, substantiated by their submission of the most viable tender," the statement read.

The report revealed that four companies participated in the bidding process: Vortex Resources Mining Group, Engineers and Planners Ltd, Heath Goldfields Ltd, and Maripoma Mining Services Ltd.

However, only two firms met the mandatory requirements after initial screening.

"Following verification, only Engineers and Planners Ltd and Heath Goldfields Ltd met the mandatory requirements; Maripoma Mining Services Ltd and Vortex Resources Mining Group were disqualified as non-responsive for failing to submit the required documents," the statement said.

The Ministry explained that the evaluation process followed strict regulatory guidelines, adding that any failure to meet the criteria would lead to disqualification. It cited the tender rules, stating that non-compliant bids "shall result in the tender being disqualified and not to be considered for further evaluation."

After further technical and financial assessment, Heath Goldfields Ltd failed to meet the required benchmark.

"Following the technical assessment, Heath Goldfields Ltd failed to achieve the minimum qualifying score of 80%, and its financial proposal was therefore not evaluated, in line with the Notice," the ministry clarified.

The Ministry commended the Tender Committee for its work and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the mining sector. It also directed the Minerals Commission to take all necessary steps to implement the decision and ensure the Damang Mine continues to contribute to Ghana’s economy.

See the full statement below: