Use a portion of the oil revenue to fund free primary care - Project Consultant.
Mr Mark Agyemang, a Project Consultant, has proposed that the government use a portion of the proceeds from crude oil and mining to fund free primary healthcare for the poor and vulnerable members of society.
"Just as the government is financing Free Senior High School with crude oil revenues to improve education in the country," he said, "it could also consider implementing similar interventions for the health sector for the poor and vulnerable."
Mr Agyemang made the call on the sidelines of an engagement forum in Accra between Friends of the Nation (FON), a non-governmental organization, and the Ministry of Finance to discuss extractive sector issues.
He proposed changes to the Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRMA) that would make the legislation more pro-poor.
The FoN, along with some Western Region queen mothers, urged the Ministry to consider proposals during the PRMA amendment process.
This comes after the NGO toured the country to monitor some of the projects and programs funded by petroleum revenues.
Mr Agyemang, the Lead Project Consultant in the proposed PRMA review, stated that education, health, and social services should be equitably funded to benefit all citizens, particularly the poor and vulnerable.
He also advocated for a more efficient and targeted distribution of oil revenue to the agricultural sector.
Mr Agyemang stated that all roads financed by petroleum revenues should be linked to agricultural production hubs in order to improve the sector.
"Agriculture is a priority area in the development of the economy," Mr Agyemang observed, "but most investments in the sector have not been directed toward improving agricultural production."
Mr Agyemang, as a result, requested that the Finance Ministry conduct an impact analysis and project assessment on how oil revenues had been used in recent years.
That, he said, would help the government know and understand where investments were bringing in the needed dividends and where the disbursement process needed to be reviewed.
The Acting Queen mother of Shama Traditional Area, Nana Akosua Gyamfiaba, has requested that the Ministry build agro-processing facilities for women farmers.
"We requested from the Ministry that cold storage facilities be provided for fishmongers in the Region," she added.
The Acting Queenmother also requested that the Ministry provide low-interest loans to women farmers in order for them to increase production.
Mr Joseph Sarpong, the Finance Ministry's Head of Energy and Petroleum Unit, stated that the NGO's, Project Consultant's, and key stakeholders' concerns would be taken into account when reviewing the PRMA.
Mr Sarpong stated that the Ministry had already begun reviewing some of the proposals.
The PRMA was enacted in 2011 and revised in 2015.
However, in 2019, the Ministry of Finance established a Review Committee to begin amending the Act to meet current objectives.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0