PNC Wins Better Petroleum Governance Policy Poll
 
A poll conducted by the Civil Society Platform on Oil and Gas on Petroleum governance proposals by the Political Parties in the run-up to the 2016 General Elections has revealed that the People’s National Convention, PNC has the best policies and programs for Ghana’s Petroleum Sector. 

The survey was conducted along three categories identified as key areas where the country has the greatest challenge in the oil and gas sector. 

These are: Inadequacies in the governance framework, weak integration of the sector into the rest of the national economy and poor spending of oil and gas revenues. 

The Chairman of the Civil Society Platform on Oil and Gas Dr. Steve Manteaw in announcing this in Accra said the PNC’s manifesto for the 2016 elections better captures the three thematic areas and has superior propositions to addressing the challenges in the future.  

Ghana Broadcasting Corporation’s Correspondent Dominic Hlordzi reports that all the political parties whose manifestos were reviewed seem to appreciate the threat of the “Dutch Disease”, “the Resource Curse” or the “Paradox of Plenty” and the need to act in a manner that helps to avoid the threat. 

The Proposed strategies for escaping the threat vary from party to party. 

The opinion poll had 63 respondents which the Platform described as encouraging. 

The internet based poll was “limited” to experts in the oil and gas sector due to the shortness of time allowed for the polls, elaborate reading that the survey requires and the fact that many people do not have regular access to the internet.  

Under the category for addressing the gap and inadequacies in the governance framework, the respondents to the poll believe that the PNC has the finest proposals. 

The National Democratic Congress, NDC is deemed to have the best proposal under the integration of the oil and gas sector into the rest of the national economy category. 

In the category relating to spending of oil revenues the Convention People’s Party, CPP’s proposal is considered the greatest. 

The PNC won the overall aggregated score for the full complement of policies and programs for the sector. 

It polled a total average of 9.81, representing a percentage average of 65. It is followed by the CPP with 9.64 total average score, representing 64 percent. 

The NPP placed third with a total average score of 9.15, representing 61 percent and the NDC, according to Dr. Steve Manteaw was last in the poll with a total average score of 8.86, representing 59 percent. 

The Civil Society Platform on Oil and Gas however, urges whichever party that wins the 2016 general elections to find a way of pulling together ideas from the other political parties to enhance its policies and programs in order to derive optimum benefits from the country’s petroleum resources. 

This poll is perhaps a pointer to the electorate who are concerned about the management of the petroleum resources of the country. 

As the saying goes “Your vote is your power”. 

Vote wisely. Better governance in the oil and gas sector should be among your signposts to the polling station. 

By Radio Ghana's Dominic Hlordzi


GBC