
Audio By Carbonatix
Energy and finance expert, Mr Alex Mould is cautioning government not to bend over backward to give Aker Energy unprecedented exemptions in resubmitted Plan of Development (PoD) in relation to the Pecan oil field.If this is granted, he said, Aker Energy was going to make a windfall profit of $400m on a tax play.The Ministry of Energy (MoE) in May this year, asked Aker Energy to submit a revised version of the entire integrated Plan of Development (PoD), which the exploration and production company submitted to the MoE on 28 March this year.IMANI Africa had raised concerns about the oil find, indicating that the contractual agreements will short-change Ghana by approximately US$30Bn.But Mr Mould who doubles as the former Chief Executive of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) addressing participants at the maiden Oil and Gas Conference at the University of East London in the United Kingdom said the demands by Aker Energy were unprecedented.“Aker purchased Hess for $100m, Hess is saying they spent $1.2bn in exploration and appraisal and Aker spent additional $100m doing the appraisal work. So Aker has spent only $200m.“Now the catch here is that Aker Energy is trying to play a tax play for us to give them $600m capital tax allowance (50% of %1.2bn) in exploration and appraisal. That means they will make automatic allowance of $400m at the expense of government and I think this is wrong,” he stated.According to Alex Mould, it would come to haunt future governments, “with these precedents which all oil and gas exploration companies will ask for” if it was granted.He noted there were no significant changes to the resubmitted PoD, “it, therefore, begs the question: ‘In the letter our Minister for Energy – Hon Peter Amewu – wrote to Aker Energy, what changes did he ask them to make to the original PoD?’He called on Parliament and Ghana Revenue Authority to put a stop to it, adding that, institutions must be allowed to workThe Energy Minister, Peter Amewu who was also at the conference confirmed the terms Aker is asking for in the submitted PoD and said it was still lying on his table.“The PoD that you are talking about is lying on my table and I insist I am not going to give them the opportunity,” he stated.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
The first five minutes: Why every Ghanaian should know basic life support- Lessons from recent tragedies
28 minutes -
World Diplomatic Organization moves to assert its status as the only globally acclaimed diplomatic institution
33 minutes -
Carlos Quieroz leaves Black Stars head coach role after World Cup exit
1 hour -
Carlos Queiroz leaves Ghana job, calls for stronger off-field structures for Black Stars
1 hour -
Number of jobs advertised falls in quarter one 2026 – BoG
1 hour -
Ghana Tourism Authority to launch ‘clean the beach’ campaign
1 hour -
Passenger arrivals at airport declined marginally in quarter one 2026
2 hours -
Consumer spending records mixed performance in quarter one 2026, cement sales declined by 10.7%
2 hours -
Police investigates viral video of alleged misconduct involving officer in Ashanti North
2 hours -
T-bills auction: Government records 23% oversubscription, but interest rates continue to rise
2 hours -
A lifetime of excellence: Dr. Williams Kwasi Peprah attains rank of full professor at Andrews University
3 hours -
Education Minister warns university councils against interfering in management
3 hours -
USA striker Balogun’s one-game ban suspended by Fifa
3 hours -
Fashion designer found dead, half-naked at Trom Dominion City in Koforidua
3 hours -
Zoomlion wins two HESS Awards for excellence in waste management and innovation
3 hours