The News and Editorial Symposium on Oil and Gas was organised by Penplusbytes and Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI).
Nine years after Ghana discovered oil and six years after producing first oil, Ghana is still operating with the 1984 law on oil exploration. After several agitation and call for a new law, the E and P bill developed and finally lay before parliament in November, 2014.
Answering a question on whether the parliament could pass the E and P Bill this year, 2016 considering the limited time left for parliamentary work; Mr. Adam noted that “As a committee we hope so and I am aware the speaker is passionate about the bill.”
Mr. Adam, who made the presentation on behalf of the Chairman of the Committee, explained that after the bill was first laid in parliament in November 2014, it was referred to the Mines and Energy Committee which have done a thorough work.
The committee then laid its report and amendments on the floor of Parliament on the 23rd March 2016 for the plenary, but could not be discussed before parliament went on recess.
He was hopeful that all necessary discussions on the bill would be done when parliament returns to sitting from late May to July. “November to December is another siting and hoping that it will be passed by then, he wished.
He explained that his expectation is not cast in stone and hence anything could happen on the floor of parliament; for instance the discussion could take longer than expected, new amendments may come up, the committee may be redirected to go and do further work some areas the legislators deem fit among others. Apart from these unexpected issues, “the bill could be passed before parliament raps up its work this year, Mr. Adams expected.
E and P Bill May Be Passed This Year – MP