The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working on Extractives, Anti-Corruption, and Good Governance has earnestly urged President-elect John Dramani Mahama to terminate the Strategic Mobilization Limited (SML) Contract.
The CSOs contend that the current SML contract has siphoned off millions of Ghana Cedis into private ownership without providing adequate benefits to the country.
They firmly believe that ending this contract will effectively close a major revenue leak and help restore public trust in financial management.
The CSOs include The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), iWatch Africa, Revenue Mobilization Africa (RMA), Third World Network-Africa (TWN-Africa), IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, Centre for Extractives and Development (CEDA), Institute of Energy Security (IES) and Human Environment and Livelihoods Platform Foundation (HELP Foundation Africa).
In a letter to the President-elect issued on December 11, the CSOs said, “Your Excellency, the Coalition stands ready to support your administration in implementing reforms that enhance transparency, accountability, and efficiency. To this end, we respectfully present the following recommendations as critical priorities for your new administration:
“1. Terminate the Strategic Mobilization Limited (SML) Contract, The ongoing SML contract has diverted millions of Ghana Cedis into private hands without delivering commensurate value to the nation. Terminating this agreement will seal a significant revenue leakage and restore public confidence in financial management practices.”
The Civil Society Organizations urged the President-elect to terminate the Agyapa Royalties agreement and reassess the Mineral Income Investment Fund (MIIF) Act.
“Abolish the Agyapa Royalties Deal and Review the Mineral Income Investment Fund (MIIF) Act. We urge your administration to permanently terminate the Agyapa Royalties Deal, which threatens Ghana’s mineral wealth and has faced widespread public rejection.”
They also advocated for reforms in the energy sector, urging the President-elect to reduce political interference in State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) operating within this domain.
“Limit political interference in State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) within the energy sector, especially GNPC and Ghana Gas, to promote leadership stability and operational efficiency.
“Address persistent challenges in the energy distribution value chain, which have eroded sector performance and profitability.”
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