Stakeholders attend forum on challenges in oil and gas
The Civil Society Platform on Oil and Gas (CSPOG) in partnership with the Ghana Oil and Gas for Inclusive Growth (GOGIG) have held a forum on the oil and gas governance challenges in Ghana.
The collaborative initiative, labeled CSPOG-GOGIG Elections Project, attracted participants from the Volta, Brong-Ahafo, Eastern and Ashanti Regions.
It was held on the theme: “Oil and Gas Governance – Gaps, Opportunities and Policy Options.”
Dr Steve Manteaw, the Chairman of CSPOG and also the Co-Chairman for the Ghana Extractive industries Transparency Initiative, said it was launched in December, 2015.
The project is expected to be implemented over five years with funding from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and it is aimed at improving the economic growth and reducing poverty through a well-managed oil and gas sector.
Dr Manteaw said the project believes that the election season provides a unique opportunity to focus attention on oil and gas governance issues to enhance accountability to Ghanaians on the management of the nation’s oil and gas resources.
He presented topics like the governance gap analysis, key issues uncovered by the analysis, progress towards bridging the governance gaps, the four most pressing issues for political dialogue and policy options.
He said some governance challenges in Ghana’s oil and gas sector were lack of integration of the sector into the rest of the economy, weak regulation and poor spending of oil revenues.
Mr Christopher Dapaah, the Zonal Lead Coordinator for the Civil Society Platform on Oil and Gas, said the platform would get the political parties to align their party manifestos to the challenges identified on international accepted norms and practices and be given the opportunity to adjust their positions or maintain them.
He called on all stakeholders to discuss the findings presented by the platform dispassionately and make key recommendations to foster coordination on the effective and judicious use of the petroleum revenues.
Mr Louis Acheampong, a member of CSPOG, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the project would ensure proper revenue management in oil and gas.
Participants suggested that all projects funded with petroleum revenues must be identified with a symbol by the management.
Source: GNA