Western Region To House GNPC Operational Head Office

As part of moves to improve transparency and public access to information in the petroleum sector, the Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC), is advancing plans to relocate its Operational Head Office in Accra to the Western region.

To the GNPC, the relocation is also meant to mainstream development communication across the public sector.

The Chief Finance and Administration Officer of the Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC), Ms Comfort Aniagyei, who disclosed this said the government would not renege on the relocation plan.

She said the government was in the process of acquiring acres of land to commence the construction of offices and ancillary facilities to make them fully operational in the Region.

Ms Aniagyei was responding to a question on the relocation of the head office of the GNPC to the Western Region at the just ended fifth National Policy Dialogue at Takoradi in the Western Region on the theme 'Making the best of Ghana's Oil- The Role of GNPC'

The Summit is a major programme of the Ministry of Information and a public-private initiative by the Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) in collaboration with the Ministry of Information.

"We will soon conclude on the processes for the acquisition of land to begin construction of an office complex for the project in the Western Region".

Currently, the GNPC Foundation operates in an ultra modern office in Takoradi and it is believed that some administrative functions may still stay in Tema even after relocation.

The government is on course to fulfilling its campaign promise of relocating the operational headquarters of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) to the Western Region in fulfilment of a campaign pledge by the then opposition New Patriotic Party in the run-up to the 2016 general election.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, then opposition leader at one of his campaign tours to the Region, told the people of the Western Region that the move would turn the Western Region into an oil production hub for West Africa.

The Omahene of Lower Dixcove Traditional Area in the Ahanta West District, Nana Kwasi Agyemang IX called for more injection of the oil funds to the upliftment of the Western Region.

He was worried that the Region was not seeing any direct benefit from the oil and Gas find.

He assured of the Western Regional House of Chiefs' readiness to release land for the construction of the GNPC operations head office in the area.

---GNA