'Our oil money online' platform launched

Africa Centre for Energy Policy, in collaboration with other governmental institutions has launched a platform to enhance the citizen’s ability to keep track of how the country’s oil and gas resources are managed.

Christened: “www.ouroilmoney.org,” the platform is one of the key building blocks of improving transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector through the active participation of citizens and relevant stakeholders.

Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, Executive Director of ACEP, launching the platform at a forum on accountability reports on the country’s petroleum revenue, said the digital website would provide avenues for deepening public participation as well ensuring good governance.

Other collaborating institutions, which include Ministry of Finance, Bank of Ghana, Ghana National Petroleum Commission and the Public Interest and Accountability Committee, pledged their unflinching support to the platform, adding that, it would provide the needed information to ensure all revenue is put into good use.

The platform was developed in partnership with ACEP and Penplusbytes, a new media and innovations platform with support from the Department for International Development, a United Kingdom government aid under the Ghana Oil and Gas for Inclusive Growth.

“The platform is a reliable source of information on petroleum contracts and provides a tool for mobilising public support for advocacy. It is an innovative, easy to use, interactive online web and mobile-based platform integrated with WhatsApp, SMS and social media”, Dr Adam said.

He said the platform is designed as a tool to keep citizens abreast of the happenings in the governance of the oil sector and provide information for monitoring fiscal management.

Mr Yaw Frempong Ampomah, Project Associate at Penplusbytes, said the features of the website include interactive charts and graphs, multi-level user management, downloadable reports and interactive maps.

He said information processed and displayed on a project page of the platform include project title, project description, budget for project, status of project, project report, project timeline.

Mr Albert Kan Dapaah, Former Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, reiterated the need to involve all political parties in the national discourse irrespective of one’s political, social or religious affiliation.

He said it is imperative to ensure transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector since it is critical to effective governance.