Amin Adam backs proposal to merge PURC, Energy Commission

A deputy minister-designate for Energy, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, who served in the same position from 2017 to January 2021, has endorsed a proposal to merge the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) and the Energy Commission, saying it will “lessen the burden investors go through” to secure approvals for projects.

PURC and the Energy Commission are the two main regulatory agencies in the power sector, responsible for technical regulation—including licensing and setting of standards—and economic regulation, respectively.

Dr. Amin Adam, who was speaking to the Appointments Committee of Parliament on discussions for a merger of the two regulators, said: “If we want to avoid over-regulation, then we need a one-stop shop where both economic and technical regulation takes place. We learnt our lessons when we decided to set up Petroleum Commission. [There,] we decided to add technical and economic regulation in one institution, and this is the proposal that we discussed for the merger of [PURC and the Energy Commission].”

On the reported lack of collaboration between Italian oil major Eni and Ghanaian operator Springfield towards unitisation of the Sankofa-Gye Nyame and Afina oil fields, Dr. Amin Adam stated: “I wish commercial partners cease releasing statements because it is a sensitive matter as government moves to negotiate between the two parties.”

Government last year directed Eni and Springfield to begin talks to combine their adjacent oil and gas fields, but the two are yet to reach an agreement.

Analysts say unitisation will optimise the exploitation of the fields and increase the benefits to government.