Honourary Vice President for IMANI Africa, Bright Simons, recently voiced his concerns about the contract between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd (SML), likening it to a reincarnation of the controversial Agyapa deal.
During a detailed presentation on Joy FM’s Newsfile, Simons highlighted the expansion of the SML task to include minerals and petroleum, which he deemed to be a questionable move. He expressed certainty that by broadening the scope of services to cover minerals and petroleum, the contract was essentially mirroring the Agyapa deal in a more sophisticated guise.
Simons also raised doubts about the feasibility of accurately determining oil production and calculating royalties, particularly in light of concerns about the reliability of data provided by oil companies. He criticized GRA’s reliance on mechanisms to establish royalty payments, citing inherent challenges associated with monitoring and regulating the extraction and sale of petroleum.
The seasoned expert questioned the logic behind attempting to claim royalties based on reported oil production, especially when there are doubts about the accuracy of such data. He emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in such agreements, calling for a more rigorous evaluation of the GRA-SML contract.
