Pressure continues to mount on Parliament to pass the Mineral Development Fund (MDF) Bill to prevent the facility, which has existed for decades without a law, from further manipulation. The latest demand is contained in the 2012/2013 Ghana Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (GHEITI) for the Mining Sector Report, which was launched in Accra on Tuesday.

Members of the Ghana EITI National Steering Committee, Good Morning, it is my pleasure to welcome to the first meeting of the Steering Committee in 2015 and also to wish you a happy new year.

2.    This certainly is a good opportunity to set the tone for the months ahead and provide general guidance on how we want to chat the future of the Ghana EITI going forward, especially for 2015. Generally, these Steering Committee meetings are very important because it provides our partners from Civil Society and Companies the opportunity and the platform to bring their perspective to bear on the governance of the extractive sector and in shaping the future of Ghana EITI.

Mr Chairman,
Chief Directors,
Hon. Members of Parliament,
Members of the Steering Committee of GHEITI,
The Media
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honour for me to be here for the launch of the 2012/2013 Ghana HEITI Reports for Mining and Oil and Gas Sectors. Following the extension of the EITI to the oil and gas sector in 2013, the Ministry of Petroleum has been following and participating the activities of GHEITI with keen interest for the purpose of ensuring transparency in the production crude oil in the country and utilisation of oil revenue.

The Finance Minister, Mr Seth Terkper, has expressed concern about the lack of capacity of the revenue collecting agencies to monitor tax players in the extractive industry appropriately. At the launch of the Ghana Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative reports (GHEITI) on the mining, oil and gas sector for 2012 and 2013 in Accra, Mr Terkper said, "Transfer pricing in the extractive sector is one major challenge that revenue institutions must overcome because of its negative effect on revenue collection."