Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, has called for a renewed focus on the core mandate of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), insisting that the state-owned oil company must prioritise petroleum exploration and production over extensive social intervention projects.
Concluding debate on the GNPC Amendment Bill on Thursday, Mr Ayariga said the proposed reforms were essential to strengthen the petroleum sector in the face of global economic pressures and the ongoing energy transition.
“As a wise administrator, if you have a deficit and you must make cuts, you don’t cut where your core mandate lies. You cut where the activities are not central to your mission,” he told Parliament.
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Deficit
According to him, GNPC’s 2025 Programme of Activities, which projects US$1.635 billion expenditure against US$1.433 billion revenue, leaves a deficit of US$202 million, making spending discipline crucial.
He argued that the figures make it imperative for GNPC to reassess its priorities.
“Rational leadership will make cuts in areas that are not the core responsibility of the institution. GNPC’s core mandate is exploration, development and production of petroleum — not functions that properly belong to government,” he stressed.
The Majority Leader dismissed claims that trimming GNPC’s corporate social spending would deprive Ghanaians of the benefits of oil wealth, noting that petroleum revenues already fund significant national programmes.
“Just last week, it was argued that oil revenues are helping finance free senior high school education. So let us not create the impression that social development is funded only through GNPC’s corporate social responsibility,” he said.
He added that key sectors, including education, health, housing and infrastructure, continue to receive direct support from national oil income.
Mr Ayariga acknowledged the relevance of the GNPC Foundation, particularly in maintaining strong community relations in operational areas, but suggested it should be streamlined rather than scrapped.
“The Foundation may not need to build astro-turfs, but clinics and community-based projects help build social capital and allow GNPC to operate effectively in host communities,” he noted.
Responding to concerns about funding for sports infrastructure, the Majority Leader said the government is already exploring sustainable financing models, including the recently considered Sports Fund Bill.
“We are exploring other avenues to raise funds to support sports infrastructure investment across the country without diverting GNPC from its core mandate. We are on course in that direction, but we also want GNPC to focus on its core responsibility,” he assured.
He urged the House to support the reforms, noting that they are intended to strengthen GNPC’s operational efficiency and revenue generation capacity.