The Minister of Finance, Mr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, has presented four reports on the energy and financial sectors to Parliament for consideration.
The reports, presented on Tuesday, include the annual report on the management of energy sector levies and accounts for 2025, the reconciliation report on the Petroleum Holding Fund for 2025, the annual public debt report, and the annual report on public-private partnership (PPP) projects for 2025.
The First Deputy Speaker, Mr Bernard Ahiafor, subsequently referred the reports to the appropriate committees for consideration.
The annual report on energy sector levies and accounts was referred to the Finance Committee, with the leadership of the Energy Committee joining its deliberations, while the reconciliation report on the Petroleum Holding Fund was referred solely to the Finance Committee.
The annual public debt report was referred to the Economy Committee, whereas the annual report on PPP projects was referred to the Committee on Public Administration.
During the referral process, the Minority Leader, Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, objected to the decision to allow only the leadership of the Energy Committee to join the Finance Committee in considering the energy sector levies report.
“Mr Speaker, I am of the view that when there is a referral, if we want to make it joint, we should make it joint. The practice of only leadership joining another committee, I don’t see the added value,” Mr Afenyo-Markin said.
However, the Majority Leader, Mr Mahama Ayariga, defended the practice, explaining that it was adopted to prevent committees from becoming unwieldy.
In brief remarks after presenting the reports, Mr Forson said the annual report on the management of energy sector levies and accounts detailed how revenue accrued by the state through petroleum taxation in 2025 was utilised.
He added that the presentation of the reconciliation report on the Petroleum Holding Fund was in fulfilment of the Ministry of Finance’s obligation under the Petroleum Revenue Management Act.
Mr Forson also announced that Ghana had, for the first time since 2013, achieved a moderate risk of debt distress status, noting that details of the achievement were contained in the annual public debt report submitted to Parliament.
Additionally, he explained that the PPP projects report was a statutory requirement mandating the Ministry of Finance to present details of public-private partnership projects to Parliament for consideration.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY
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