Ghana’s Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) has renewed calls for stronger implementation of its statutory recommendations, warning that continued non-compliance is undermining accountability and effective governance in the country’s upstream petroleum sector.
Speaking during a live Facebook discussion dubbed #TimeWithPIAC, PIAC’s Senior Communications Manager, Jessica Acheampong, said many Ghanaians are increasingly concerned that recommendations aimed at improving the management of the country’s oil resources are repeatedly ignored.
Head of PIAC’s Technical Department, Mark Ofori Adu Agyemang, highlighted persistent structural weaknesses in petroleum revenue management, stressing that the committee’s oversight role risks becoming ineffective without coordinated action from relevant ministries and regulatory institutions.
Chairman of PIAC’s Technical Subcommittee, Samuel Boakye, said the failure to implement the committee’s recommendations has contributed to delays in project execution, abandoned oil-funded infrastructure projects, and expenditure decisions that do not align with the objectives outlined in PIAC’s reports.
The committee called for legal reforms to strengthen compliance with its recommendations while urging the media and the public to intensify scrutiny of state institutions responsible for managing petroleum revenues.
According to PIAC, recurring challenges in the sector include abandoned projects, inadequate maintenance planning for oil-funded infrastructure, and the fragmentation of petroleum revenues across numerous small projects, limiting their overall developmental impact.
The committee said its public engagement initiative is intended to encourage greater citizen participation in promoting transparency, accountability, and prudent management of Ghana’s petroleum resources.