The National Premix Fuel Secretariat (NPFS) is set to continue its nationwide accountability drive in collaboration with Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to strengthen transparency and financial oversight in the management of premix fuel revenues and the Community Development Fund across Ghana’s fishing communities.

The exercise builds on a pilot accountability programme conducted last year in selected coastal areas, including Shama, Sekondi-Takoradi and other fishing districts, where the Secretariat worked closely with MMDCEs and district assemblies to review the management of premix fuel funds at the community level. The pilot phase demonstrated the importance of district-level collaboration in enforcing financial discipline and restoring public confidence in the system.

Following the success of the pilot, the Secretariat is now continuing the exercise in earnest, extending it to cover all remaining coastal and inland fishing communities across the country that were not included in the initial phase.

The next phase of the exercise will run from 16th to 27th March 2026, covering the Volta Lake, Oti Region, Bono East Region, Savannah Region, Northern Region, Eastern Region, Western Region, Central Region, Greater Accra Region, and the Volta Region (Marine). Through this expanded engagement, the Secretariat aims to deepen accountability, strengthen local oversight through the district assemblies, and ensure that resources generated from premix fuel sales are properly managed for the benefit of fishing communities.

The partnership with MMDCEs—first established during the pilot—will remain central to the nationwide rollout, as district assemblies play a critical role in coordinating community engagements and enforcing accountability measures.

The expanded exercise comes in the wake of an audit of premix fuel accounts covering the period 2017–2024, which uncovered misappropriation and financial irregularities amounting to approximately GH¢27.7 million under the erstwhile NPP government. The findings have raised serious concerns about the management of funds meant for the development of fishing communities.

Officials say the exercise forms part of broader reforms by the NDC government to salvage the situation, recover mismanaged resources, and restore integrity to the premix fuel programme. The accountability exercise will therefore require former Landing Beach Committee (LBC) members who served between 2017 and 2024 to account for their stewardship, while also reviewing the management of funds by current committees.

The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Emelia Arthur, has thrown her support behind the exercise, describing it as a decisive step to restore confidence in the premix fuel distribution system.

“We are determined to ensure that every pesewa generated from the premix fuel system is accounted for,” the Minister stated, adding that the government is committed to ensuring transparency and value for money in the management of premix fuel revenues and the community development funds associated with it.

At the centre of the exercise is the Community Development Fund, which allocates 53 per cent of premix fuel sales margins to development projects in fishing communities. The fund was established to ensure that the premix fuel programme directly supports infrastructure and livelihood improvements within fishing areas.

The Administrator of the National Premix Fuel Secretariat, Ebow Mensah, emphasised that the exercise is a critical step toward restoring integrity, transparency, and accountability in the management of the premix fuel.

“This exercise is about protecting resources that rightfully belong to our fishing communities and ensuring that they are used strictly for their intended development purposes,” he stated. “The Secretariat is fully committed to strengthening oversight and transparency so that funds generated through the premix fuel programme are properly accounted for,” he affirmed.

He further noted that the Secretariat remains determined to work closely with district assemblies, MMDCEs, and community stakeholders to enforce compliance with existing regulations and ensure responsible stewardship of the Community Development Fund.

He added that through these renewed oversight measures and stronger institutional collaboration, the Secretariat aims to guarantee that proceeds from premix fuel sales are used for genuine community development projects while rebuilding public confidence in the administration of the programme and safeguarding the long-term sustainability of the premix fuel system.

Ultimately, the nationwide accountability drive is expected to reinforce good governance within the premix fuel distribution framework and ensure that the programme delivers its intended benefits—improving livelihoods, strengthening local infrastructure, and supporting sustainable development in Ghana’s fishing communities.