Ghana’s finance minister says the government is ready to broaden consultations to fill any communication gap in the Agyapa Royalties transaction.
Development Diaries learnt that the minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, made this known during a meeting with the leadership of the Alliance of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working on extractives, anti-corruption, and good governance.
Ofori-Atta, it was learnt, will also be meeting with various organised groups, such as faith-based organisations, chiefs, and opinion leaders, organised labour and academia, in order to further deepen consultations and build unanimity around the transaction.
The aforementioned group of CSOs had asked the government of the West African country to suspend the establishment of the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), Agyapa Royalties Limited, until all documents tied to its establishment and its owners have been disclosed.
The Agyapa Royalties Limited was established by the government though the Minerals Income Investment Fund to manage the country’s mineral royalties.
However, the CSOs said in a statement that the policy was being implemented in an opaque manner.
Speaking on the matter, Offor-Atta stated that everything was done in accordance with the laws of the land and was done in the full glare of Parliament in the spirit and letter of transparency.
He explained that all that has been done with respect to Agyapa deal was in the interest of the country.
‘I want to assure you that the integrity of the Minerals Income Investment Fund and Agyapa Royalties and what government intends to have them do are all above board’, he said.
He acknowledged the critical role of civil society, saying, ‘You are able to draw citizens and government to our blind spots through your research, policy analysis, and advocacy’.
In view of that, he assured them that ‘the government welcomes genuine, informed debate, discussions and citizen’s participation in decision-making, especially, concerning the use and management of state resources’.
‘No democracy can survive in the absence of an active civil society and developments in civil society advocacy in Ghana over the past two decades have enhanced governance and nation-building’.
Speaking on behalf of the CSOs, the co-chair of the Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GHEITI), Dr Steve Manteaw, acknowledged that going through all the documents available to them, the government was clearly working within the MIIF law.
Source: Joy Online
Photo source: Ken Ofori-Atta
