Accra: First Deputy Minority Whip, Habib Iddrisu, is demanding answers over how billions of cedis collected from Ghana's energy sector levies have been used, raising concerns about transparency and accountability.
According to Ghana Web, Iddrisu has formally written to the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, invoking the Right to Information Act to request detailed financial records. He emphasized that this move is part of his duty to ensure proper oversight, stating, "I write to request information from your office, the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, pursuant to Section 18 of the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), in exercise of the provisions of Article 21(1)(f) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana."
In his dual role as a legislator and a member of Parliament's Energy Committee, Iddrisu stressed the public interest in understanding how the funds are being managed. "I request the information in my capacity as the Member of Parliament for Tolon and the 1st Deputy Whip of the Minority Caucus, working with Members of the Energy Committee of Parliament on matters of public interest relating to the sector," he noted.
Iddrisu highlighted the requirements of the Energy Sector Levies Act, 2025, which obliges the government to account for how levy proceeds are handled and reported to Parliament. "Section 3 of the Energy Sector Levies Act, 2025 states, 'The Minister shall cause to be opened and maintained an account to be known as the Energy Sector Support Account into which shall be paid the moneys collected under the Energy Sector Shortfall and Debt Repayment Levy,'" he wrote. Furthermore, Section 4 mandates that the Minister submit an annual report on the management of the account to Parliament by March 31 of each year.
He noted that, based on checks with Parliament, this requirement has not been fulfilled. "My checks with Parliament indicate that the report on the management of the account has not been submitted since March 31, 2026, as mandated by law," he said.
Iddrisu insists that the request is crucial for Parliament to fulfill its oversight responsibilities, stating, "It is, therefore, necessary to make this request to obtain information to support our oversight responsibilities as Members of Parliament."
He is specifically seeking details on the total revenue collected under the levies and a comprehensive breakdown of how the funds have been spent. The Ministry has been given 14 days to respond and provide the information in a clear and accessible format.