PIAC Urges Government to Expedite Completion of Anomabo Fisheries College.

Anomabo: The Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) has issued an urgent call to the government to expedite the completion of the Anomabo Fisheries College to rejuvenate the fisheries sector. The committee emphasized the need for the government to allocate a substantial portion of oil revenue towards completing this critical project, which aims to provide essential training and capacity building for individuals in the fisheries industry.According to Ghana News Agency, the Anomabo Fisheries College project was initiated between 2012 and 2013 with the goal of conducting research and training for the fisheries sector. Despite receiving petroleum revenue annually, the project remains incomplete after more than a decade, a situation that has raised concerns within the committee. During a media engagement on the 2024 PIAC semi-annual report, Odeefour Amoakwa Boadu VIII, the Vice Chairman of PIAC, highlighted the missed opportunities for Ghana and Africa due to the delay in the college's completion.Odeefour Boadu stressed the importance of the project, stating, "This will help them to have the capacity to maximise the benefit of our seas for fisheries in general, and so the earlier we have it on stream, the better for all of us." He urged the Ministries of Finance and Fisheries to prioritize the project for the benefit of Ghana and West Africa.As the President of the Central Regional House of Chiefs, Odeefour Boadu mentioned receiving assurances from the sector, expressing hope that the college would soon become operational. "As recent as last week, I was talking to the Fisheries Minister, and I was given the assurance that it will be given the needed priority and so I am hoping that it will be done," he stated.PIAC's report also noted a 10.7 percent increase in crude oil production for the first half of 2024, compared to a 13.2 percent decline in the same period of 2023. This improvement is primarily attributed to the Jubilee South East (JSE) project. Additionally, petroleum receipts for the period rose by 55.6 percent, from US$540,456,124.27 in the first half of 2023 to US$840,765,265.80 in the first half of 2024, largely due to increased production.