The Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Edudzi Tamakloe, has called for a new legal framework to govern Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector, saying the current NPA Act, passed more than two decades ago, must be updated to reflect changes within the industry.

Addressing Parliament’s Energy Committee, Mr Tamakloe said the existing law, enacted in 2005, had served the country over the years but could no longer fully respond to emerging developments in the petroleum space.

“On having a new NPA Act, it is often said that Parliament cannot look so much into the future,” he said. “So, 20 years after the enactment of the NPA Act in 2005, it will become necessary for us to catch up with industry growth, industry perspective, and the new evolving matters that are coming up.”

His remarks come at a time when Ghana’s energy sector continues to face increasing demands around fuel pricing, market regulation, energy security, and investment in petroleum infrastructure.

The NPA is the state regulator responsible for overseeing activities in the downstream petroleum industry, including licensing, pricing supervision, standards enforcement, and consumer protection.

Mr Tamakloe told the committee that the Authority remains focused on supporting national development through effective regulation and improved service delivery.

“We are the National Petroleum Authority, and we strongly believe in the vision that we have to be the catalyst for economic transformation and growth,” he stated.

He added that the Authority’s mission remains to “regulate, oversee, monitor the petroleum downstream industry in Ghana for efficiency, growth, and stakeholder satisfaction.”

The call for a revised law is expected to spark discussions within government and Parliament over whether the current regulatory regime is fit for purpose in a rapidly changing petroleum market.

Industry watchers have long argued that reforms are needed to strengthen oversight, improve competition, and align Ghana’s petroleum laws with global trends in energy transition and technological innovation.