A delegation from the Upper House of Parliament in the Republic of Namibia recently visited Ghana to pay a courtesy call to the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC).

The purpose of the visit was to gain insights into petroleum revenue management and its effective utilization for the benefit of Namibia's citizens.

Led by Mr. Elder Filipe, the Vice-Chairman of Namibia's Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources, the delegation sought to learn from Ghana's experience in managing revenues from petroleum resources.

The visit was in accordance with Rule 159 of the National Council Standing Rules and Orders of the Namibian Parliament, which mandates the committee to address matters related to various sectors, including water, agriculture, land, environment, forest, mines, and energy.

Mr. Filipe expressed Namibia's interest in effectively exploiting its discovered hydrocarbons for the welfare of its people. Learning from other countries' experiences, especially those with successful petroleum revenue management, is seen as crucial to getting it right from the outset.

Namibia is considering setting up a committee similar to PIAC to ensure the responsible management and utilization of petroleum revenues to avoid the resource curse.

The Namibian delegation commended Ghana's progress in managing its petroleum revenues, which includes the establishment of appropriate laws and institutions governing the sector's operations.

In response, Professor Kwame Adom-Frimpong, Chairman of PIAC, stressed the importance of securing adequate funding for the Accountability Committee to ensure its smooth operation.

He also encouraged the Namibian Parliamentarians to demonstrate genuine commitment to the work of the yet-to-be-established Committee, which would facilitate the implementation of its recommendations.

Professor Adom-Frimpong extended PIAC's readiness to provide technical support to their Namibian counterparts in promoting transparency and accountability in managing natural resources.