A Deputy Minister for Finance, Dr. John Kumah, has said the essence of the reintroduction of the controversial Agyapa royalties deal was to make money out of the country’s minerals wealth.

According to him, if the royalties from the minerals wealth of the country as part of the Agyapa deal are monetized it will raise money for the country’s development.

"We have mined gold and other minerals for years and it has not made any impact on the country’s economy," he contests.

He was of the view that people have exported gold from Ghana without following the laid down rules for exporting Gold from the country adding that the deal will streamline the sector if accepted.

He noted that the Agyapa deal will be an addition to the revenue generation drive of the country.

He stressed that the deal will be an addition to the Electronic Levy(E-Levy) which is helping in the revenue drive of the country.

He said the deal will help Ghana to meet its developmental needs and meet the demands for more infrastructure.

He called on Ghanaians to embrace the new revised Agyapa deal for the development of the nation.

The Deputy Minister who is also the Member of Parliament for Ejisu Constituency in the Ashanti Region made this admission speaking on Accra-based Okay FM’s morning show on Friday, May 13, 2022.