The Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) has launched the ‘citizens version’ of the statutory annual report on the management and use of petroleum revenue.

The initiative is part of efforts to simplify and disseminate information to equip citizens with the needed knowledge for advocacy and decision-making.

The first edition of the document which was launched on Tuesday provides summarised and comprehensive information, which otherwise was regarded voluminous and technical in the original 2022 annual report.

It entails petroleum production and sales statistics, petroleum utilization, collection and allocation of petroleum revenues, distribution, and utilization of the Annual Budgetted Funds Amount (ABFA) among other areas.

Professor Nana Susubribi Krobea Boaten (S. K. B.) Asante, the paramount chief of Asante Asokore and the former President of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences launched the 60-page document at a brief ceremony.

Emerita Professor Elizabeth Ardayfio-Schandorf, the Chairp
erson of PIAC, said the ‘Citizens Version’ reflected the committee’s commitment to promoting transparency and accountability which was crucial for prudent financial management.

She said the document was a vital resource aimed at empowering citizens to contribute to the governance of petroleum resources.

‘We believe that getting the public informed is the foundation of a transparent and accountable governance structure for our petroleum revenues,’ she said.

Ms Kathleen Addy, the Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), observed that participation in governance had become tedious for citizens due to lack of information to make informed comments and decisions on national issues.

The introduction of simplified version of the PIAC annual report would go a long way to help NCCE in civic education.

‘It is hoped that this model will be adopted by other institutions to ensure that they have reports that citizens can learn from and engage with,’ she said.

Dr Steve Manteaw, former Chairpe
rson of PIAC, encouraged the government to be savvy of trends and changes within the sector to ensure the country was not left behind in the energy transition phase.

Source: Ghana News Agency