Parliament pushes for GH¢5.6m release to Petroleum Commission for data centre

The Parliamentary Select Committee on Energy has appealed to the Ministry of Finance to release GH¢5.6 million to the Petroleum Commission to support the establishment and operation of a world-class data centre.

The Committee says the facility will strengthen the Commission’s ability to manage critical upstream petroleum data and improve its operational capacity as Ghana seeks to revive investment and production in the sector.

Chairman of the Committee, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, said continued investment in the upstream petroleum industry was necessary to reverse recent declines in investment and hydrocarbon production.

He noted that Parliament’s approval of an extension of a petroleum agreement to 2030 had helped attract additional funding and contributed to an increase in crude oil production from about 80,000 to 120,000 barrels per day.

Mr Bedzrah, however, raised concerns over repeated budgetary allocations for oil exploration in the Voltaian Basin, stressing that approved funds must translate into measurable results.

He said the Committee would require clear evidence of progress before supporting further allocations for the exploration programme, underscoring the need for greater accountability in the use of public funds committed to developing Ghana’s petroleum resources.

The Committee appealed during a working visit to the Petroleum Commission as part of its oversight activities to assess the regulator’s operations and management procedures.

Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Commission, Emeafa Hardcastle, took the Committee through the Commission’s mandate and working procedures, including its responsibility for regulating, managing and coordinating upstream petroleum activities.

Ms Hardcastle said that since assuming office in 2025, government had implemented measures aimed at reversing the decline in crude oil production, sustaining output and repositioning Ghana as an attractive investment destination in Africa’s increasingly competitive petroleum industry.

She added that government had secured fresh investment commitments of about US$35 billion to help revitalise the petroleum sector.

The Committee is expected to conclude its oversight exercise with engagements at the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and the Ghana Oil Company Limited (GOIL).

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.