Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources has identified the legal regime in Ghana’s natural resources sector which gives the government absolute control over the harnessing and management of the resources as the key factor behind the effective and sustainable management of the resources.
According to Hon. Jinapor, the legal framework that vested the resources in the President allowed for effective government oversight which alienated all possible challenges that could have prevented the country from being able to harness those resources.
The Minister made the remarks when a delegation from the Namibian Council Standing Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources paid a courtesy call on him on Tuesday, July 25, 2023
The delegation’s visit was in accordance with Rule 159 of the National Council Standing Rules and Orders, which mandates the committee to address matters falling under various sectors, including water, agriculture, land, environment, forest, mines, and energy.
Led by the head of the Namibian delegation Hon. Elder Felipe, the delegation emphasized that their visit was driven by their responsibility to oversee and address issues related to the management and preservation of natural resources in their country.
During the meeting, the committee members elaborated on their mandate, highlighting their role in dealing with questions and concerns arising within various government offices, ministries, agencies, and public enterprises that fall within their jurisdiction.
The areas under their purview include water resources, agricultural practices, land use, environmental conservation, forestry, matters concerning mining and energy.
Hon. Filipe added that their decision to visit the Parliament of Ghana to share the experiences, stressing that “But our main objective is why we are here it’s two strategies for oil and gas industry. In particularly, the agriculture and natural resources in general. The role Parliament plays in advancing focus on governance in oil and gas sector regulatory frameworks in place for the Ghanaian oil and gas sector and addressing the issue of upstream and midstream sector”.
“We also want to look into your policies in place since your country is already 12 years in the industry. Also the local content on how the people are directly benefiting from your resources”.
