Abstract
In the ten years since the discovery of commercial quantities of hydrocarbon resources offshore Ghana, expectations and optimism for rapid economic development and poverty reduction have been tempered. This has been driven by concerns over the management and use (transparent use and fair distribution) of petroleum revenues, pro-cyclical nature of fiscal policy in Ghana, and fears of a possible Dutch disease. The latter could reduce competitiveness in the country’s key export and import-competing sectors while adversely impacting the livelihoods of most citizens. This chapter reviews the key fiscal policy implications of Ghana’s continuous reliance on natural resource revenues despite persistent talk of using these revenues to catalyze broad-based industrialization through the development of the much-needed linkages. It also reviews the role of Ghana’s fiscal institutions in managing the oil boom, the operational aspects and political economy of fiscal policymaking in Ghana, and the rationale for the setup of natural resource funds such as the Stabilisation and Heritage Funds under the Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRMA). The chapter also critically analyzes the extent to which the PRMA and other laws such as the Public Financial Management Act have been able to adequately address issues relating to revenue volatility and expenditure smoothing in the budget, thereby contributing to overall fiscal sustainability in the country. Finally, using various case studies and economic evidence, the chapter reviews and benchmarks the governance, transparency, and accountability mechanisms of the various petroleum funds.
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Notes
- 1.
See World Bank Development Indicators (2020) https://stats2.digitalresources.jisc.ac.uk.
- 2.
See Sects. 9(2), 10(2a), and 21(2) of Act 815.
- 3.
Natural Resources Governance Institute.
- 4.
See Ghana’s projected growth to slip from 6 to 2%-Ghana Business News.
- 5.
- 6.
- 7.
- 8.
- 9.
- 10.
- 11.
See the first schedule (Section 17) of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRMA), 2011 (815) for the formula. According to Section 7 of the amended PRMA (Act 893), the Minister for Finance can recommend a revision of the benchmark revenue to parliament if it becomes evident that unexpected changes in price or quantity can lead to high over or under projection.
- 12.
- 13.
- 14.
- 15.
See Section 7(2) of Petroleum Revenue Management (Amendment) Act, 2015 (Act 893).
- 16.
- 17.
2017 Resource Governance Index accessed from https://api.resourcegovernanceindex.org/system/documents/documents/000/000/046/original/2017_Resource_Governance_Index.pdf?1498599435.
- 18.
- 19.
Ibid.
- 20.
See Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund Investment Policy Statement. https://www.mofep.gov.gh/sites/default/files/reports/economic/GIIF%20Investment%20Policy%20Statement_April62017.pdf.
- 21.
See PIAC Annual Reports for 2018 to 2020.
- 22.
See PIAC Annual Report for 2018. https://www.piacghana.org/portal/files/downloads/piac_reports/piac_2018_annual_report.pdf.
- 23.
Daily Graphic. (2019). You can’t cap assemblies common fund - Supreme Court to govt. Available at: https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/supreme-court-declares-capping-of-assemblies-common-fund-unconstitutional.html (Accessed: 4 November 2021); See also Section 2 of Act 947.
- 24.
See PIAC Annual Report for 2019. https://www.piacghana.org/portal/files/downloads/piac_reports/piac_2019_annual__report.pdf.
- 25.
See Section 5(a) of Act 1063.
- 26.
See Kpodo, MP and Another Vrs Attorney-General (J1/03/2018) [2019] GHASC 39 (12 June 2019). https://ghalii.org/gh/judgment/supreme-court/2019/39; Two NDC MPs ask Supreme Court to define “total revenue of Ghana”. MyJoyOnline.com (2021). Available at: https://www.myjoyonline.com/two-ndc-mps-ask-supreme-court-to-define-total-revenue-of-ghana (Accessed: 4 November 2021).
- 27.
See 2021 Semi-Annual Report of the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC). https://www.piacghana.org/portal/files/downloads/piac_reports/piac_2021_semi-annual_report.pdf; ¢129.26 million of ABFA allocated to District Assembly Common Fund yet to be disbursed – PIAC report. MyJoyOnline.com (2021). Available at: https://www.myjoyonline.com/129-26-million-of-abfa-allocated-to-district-assembly-common-fund-yet-to-be-disbursed-piac-report (Accessed: 4 November 2021).
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Asenso, J.K., Ackah, I. (2022). Fiscal Policy and Petroleum Revenue Management: Is Ghana on the Path to Beating the Resource Curse?. In: Acheampong, T., Kojo Stephens, T. (eds) Petroleum Resource Management in Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-83051-9_8
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