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The Ministry of Energy has inaugurated the Petroleum Hub Implementation Committee to coordinate all activities regarding the operation of Ghana’s Petroleum Hub Development Corporation (PHDC).

The Committee will serve as a focal point of all activities to ensure the realisation of the Petroleum Hub dream.

The Members are Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, Deputy Minister of Energy in charge of Petroleum, Mr Joseph Cudjoe, Deputy Minister in charge of Finance and Infrastructure, Mr Adu Boahen, Deputy Minister of Finance, and Mr Jacob Amuah, Director of National Petroleum Authority.

The others are Mrs Anita Lokko, Director in charge of Legal, Ministry of Energy, Dr Eric Yeboah, Technical Advisor to the Senior Minister, Mr Ali Nuhu Abeka, Acting Director in charge of Petroleum Downstream, Nana Kofi Oppong Damoah, Head of Communications and Public Affairs, Ministry of Energy, and Mr Joseph Yankson, Legal Advisor, Ministry of Energy.

The rest are Mr Charles Owusu, Advisor at the Ministry of Finance, Mr Obed Kraine Boachie, the Head, Petroleum Downstream Marketing and Distribution Unit of Ministry of Energy, and Mrs Nancy Ayiku Botchwey, the Administrative Officer at the Ministry of Energy.

The Committee was inaugurated by Mr Lawrence Apaalse, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Energy, on behalf of the Minister, Mr John Peter Amewu.

Mr Apaalse explained that it had been the goal of the Ministry, under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to make Ghana a regional hub of refined petroleum products and petrochemicals, hence the development of a master plan toward the realisation of that vision in 2018.

“The Corporation will have the capacity and mandate to engage with prospective stakeholders and developers concerned with the Hub,” he noted.

Mr Apaalse said per the institutional arrangements proposed in the Master Plan, a PHDC was to be established by statute to coordinate all activities during the implementation and operation of the Hub.

He said the phase one required a dedicated team in place to properly coordinate activities, promote the project, engage prospective investors, review reports, plans and proposals, and ensure that implementation was done per the master plan cost-effectively to provide value for money.

Dr Amin Adam, on his part, noted that the role of the Committee was crucial as it was expected to carefully carry out the activities of the PHDC until the Corporation was fully operational.