Minority files RTI request demanding detailed financial records on Energy Sector Levy

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.

In a formal letter to the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, the Tolon MP invoked the Right to Information Act to request detailed financial records, saying the move is part of his duty to ensure proper oversight.

“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,” he stated.

Iddrisu said he was acting in his dual role as a legislator and a member of Parliament’s Energy Committee, stressing the public interest in 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.

He pointed to provisions in the Energy Sector Levies Act, 2025, which require 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.

“Moreover, Section 4 also provides that, ‘The Minister shall submit to Parliament an annual report on the management of the account established under Section 3 for the preceding year by the 31st day of March of the ensuing year’,” he added.

According to him, checks with Parliament suggest this requirement has not been met.

“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.

He insists the request is crucial for Parliament to carry out its oversight responsibilities.

“It is, therefore, necessary to make this request to obtain information to support our oversight responsibilities as Members of Parliament,” he stated.

Iddrisu is specifically asking for details on total revenue collected under the levies and a full breakdown of how the funds have been spent. He has given the Ministry 14 days to respond and provide the information in a clear and accessible format.

NA/BAI