Ghana sets up PSCC to oversee the security of its oil and gas industry

Ghana has put in place a Petroleum Security Co-ordinating Committee (PSCC) to keep track of the accomplishments of the country's burgeoning oil industry. The committee will oversee the safety and security of the oil and gas sector, as set out in the Master Security Plan developed by the Ministerial Oil and Gas Committee.

The seven members of the committee come from varied backgrounds including Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police Services, National Security, Ghana Maritime Authority, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and the country's Energy Ministry. Former Commandant of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre , Brig Gen Charles Mankatah , has been named as the National Co-ordinator of the Committee.

Speaking to the press after the Committee's inauguration ceremony, Defence Minister Lt Gen Joseph Henry Smith said: "The effort to provide a secure and congenial environment for the oil and gas industry has been a high priority on the agenda of the government for the past two years."

He pointed out that the security of the sector was of key importance in the success of the industry, adding: "We have to provide a secure and congenial environment for Ghana's oil and gas industry to thrive to ensure progressive socio-economic development in the country."

Smith commended the Ministerial Committee for setting up the Security Master Plan, which would provide a framework to ensure a safe and secure environment within which oil companies could operate freely while adhering to international laws and following appropriate protocol. He urged the committee to work closely with key industry stakeholders in order to ensure a smooth running of the oil and gas sector.

News of the inauguration comes days after, former managing director of the GNPC, Moses Oduro Boateng, called for stricter regulation to monitor the activities of all oil industry players. He noted that presently the law is not comprehensive enough and needs to be updated in view of the changing trends within the industry.

Sources: Ghana News Agency, Ghana Oil Club, Accra Daily Mail

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