A Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr John Kumah, has urged the Public Interest and Accountability
Committee (PIAC) to be relentless in its advocacy on the prudent management and use of
Ghana’s petroleum revenue.
While commending the Committee for its push for transparency and accountability over the
last 12 years, he said, the government would continue to support its activities towards fulfilling
its mandate.
He said this in Accra at the launch of PIAC’s new corporate logo, a redesigned website and a
data dashboard, as part of efforts to increase its visibility and public engagement.
The new logo maintains the coat of arms in the old one, and adds new key elements like an oil
rig, oil drop and the Ghana Cedi sign; all designed in PIAC’s corporate colours; black and gold.
The redesigned website which has the Data Dashboard fused is to help provide easy access to
information on the country’s petroleum sector to the public to help promote accountability.
Aside from accountability, Mr Kumah urged PIAC to lead the ongoing public advocacy for an
increase in Ghana’s percentage in oil revenues because the government was constrained by
contracts it had signed.
He said, “some people have questioned why Ghana’s interest in the extractive industry is
limited to maybe 10 or 15 per cent of the resources and not 55 per cent or 60 per cent.
When such issues are raised vehemently and pushed by PIAC, we can see some changes in the
terms because it is not easy based on contracts we have signed, but everything is possible
where there is a will.”
Mr Kumah congratulated the Committee for the new feat and hailed the cordial working
relationship between the Ministry and PIAC.
“I think PIAC is well-positioned in the law in the fight against corruption. When we cry about
corruption, we can only do it with strong and independent institutions like PIAC,” he said.
The Chairman of PIAC, Prof. Kwame Adom-Frimpong, said the Committee over the years had
defied limited resources and inadequate understanding of PIAC to ensure that the petroleum
revenue was well managed and used.
He said the new logo would properly identify the Committee while the website would boost its
mandate of providing a platform for citizenship engagement on oil revenue through provision
of information.
He thanked the German Development Corporation (GIZ) and the State Secretariat for Economic
Affairs (SECO) for supporting PIAC’s activities over the years.
The Chairman of PIAC’s Public Affairs and Communications Sub-committee, Mr Eric Defor, said
the old logo did not communicate PIAC’s purpose well, giving rise to the need to rebrand to get
the recognition and legitimacy to work.
He said the new logo signified the industry, resource and revenues that PIAC oversees as its
mandate prescribes.
Ghanaian Times August 17, 2023