Ghana will have done the thinking around the countries expectations for other minerals like gold, Manganese and bauxite that they export. This thinking needs to be confirmed around Lithium and a probable outcome is a requirement for local crushing/processing. This would mean pure DSO would be ruled out. Whether a post crushing low-grade fines export is possible remains unclear.
For Ghana, a balance needs to be struck between trying to capture most/all the value and a fair share. If you set the rules too firmly in the Crown's favour, no private company will ever explore in the country and ultimately the Crown gets a large share of nothing. Countries like Australia/Canada have decided to balance this equation by taxing company profits, taxing the wages paid to employees and frequently having some form of royalty. The USA also does this but has regulatory approval rules that slow/stop many projects. These countries have formed the view that the cumulative taxes across these three channels provide enough benefit to the State/country while still allowing private companies an incentive to undertake projects. Supply/demand conditions for labour and various minimum wage rules mean mining companies need to pay a decent wage so there are substantial benefits to workers and the Crown in taxes on this. Atlantic has been doing the work to show that Ghana will get a lot of benefit from approving their mining licence request.
The favourable bit is the last two sentences which indicate this is procedural rather than trying to stop mining activities:
A11 Price at posting:
44.0¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
A personalised tool to help users track selected stocks. Delivering real-time notifications on price updates, announcements, and performance stats on each to help make informed investment decisions.
(20min delay)