Ghana Government faces demand for more money

…As 4^th natural resource and environment sector review gets underway

The Government of Ghana (GoG) is coming under fresh pressure to show stronger commitment to the Natural Resource and Environment (NRE) sector by improving its financing package for the NRE Governance (NREG) programme.

Civil society activists and groups are making the renewed call following their observation that government’s direct contribution to the financing of the sector is almost zilch, and far below contributions by Ghana’s development partners (DPs).

It is currently unclear how much government contributes to the NREG programme but some NRE sector monitors believe government’s contribution may be only limited to emoluments.

Speaking on Tuesday morning at the opening of the 4^th Annual Civil Society Review of the NRE Sector, Louis Acheampong, a member of the Steering Committee of the KASA Initiative, said there was the need for the GoG to show more commitment in terms of improving upon its financial package for NREG.

He also called on government to catalyse wider and deeper civil society participation in the NREG programme as it enters into a second phase following the expiration of phase one in December 2012.

On the other hand, he commended Ghana’s DPs for their colossal financial support for NREG in Ghana, recalling last Tuesday’s approval of US$5 million by the World Bank in support of the NREG programme.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR) says it is committed to the success of the NREG programme and would work closely with civil society groups because “Government values the input of CSOs.”

Opening the Sector Review forum, Deputy Minister at the MLNR, Barbara Serwaa Asamoah, after arriving late for the programme, courted controversy when she accused some journalists of engaging in negative reporting on the work of the Inter-Ministerial Taskforce on Illegal Mining.

According to her, journalists were focusing on alleged burning of mining equipment instead of highlighting the merits of the taskforce’s mandate. She explained that the team was rather burning improvised housing structures of the illegal miners.

4^th NRE Review

Discussions kicked off on Tuesday morning with a focus on mining, drawing several comments on the controversial galamsey sub-sector in particular. Various civil society coalitions are expected to present perspectives on NRE sub-sectors like oil and gas, water and sanitation, forestry, fisheries, land, and climate change and environment.

The CSO activists would conclude the meeting on Thursday when concrete recommendations would emerge.