[ 2016-07-16 ]

Speaker supports changes in new petroleum bill
The second reading of the Petroleum Exploration
and Production Bill 2016 was characterized by
heated argument in Parliament yesterday on the
unlimited power given to the Minister of Petroleum
to approve or disapprove a petroleum contract
after a tender process.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of
Parliament for Atwima Mponua, Isaac Asiamah, who
is also a member of the Mines and Energy Committee
of Parliament, said Subsection (4) of Clause 10 of
the bill, which says that the minister may decide
not to enter into a petroleum agreement after the
tender process, totally defeats the purpose of the
bill which intends to ensure transparency in the
award of contract and petroleum agreements on oil
blocks in the Jubilee Fields.

Clause 10 Sub-section 3 of the bill says that a
petroleum agreement shall only be entered into
after an open, transparent and competitive tender
process but the Sub-section 4 of the same clause
gives a caveat that the minister may decide not to
enter into a petroleum agreement after the tender
process as prescribed.

The MP for Atwima Mponua completely disagreed
with the Subsection 4 of the clause 10, saying
that it is better to reject the bill than to
approve it if that subsection is maintained in the
bill.

According to him, before this bill was drafted,
ministers responsible for petroleum had omnibus
freedom to enter into any type of petroleum
agreement without recourse to anybody for scrutiny
and accountability, adding that this new bill has
been brought to address those deficiencies.

“Oil blocks have been sold entirely by previous
ministers and there is no transparency in the
process so we cannot give the same monopoly to the
minister,” he said, adding that the House will
have delete that subsection from the bill or he
would be forced to file for an amendment to that
portion of the bill that gives the same power to
the Minister to either agree to an agreement or
not.

Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho said the
Atwima Mponua MP’s argument makes a lot of
sense, adding that the bill seeks to bring
transparency into petroleum agreements, but
Subsection 4 of clause 10 could create problems.
He therefore, asked the chairman of the committee
of Mines and Energy and the executive to look at
the portion again.

He said it was incumbent on parliament to pass a
law that will stand the test of time

Source - dailyguideafrica.com

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