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Browsing Business School by Author "Abdul-Gafaru, A."

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    Mining and Development in Ghana: A Case Study of the Mineral Development Fund in the Obuasi Municipal Assembly
    (University of Ghana, 2015-07) Quarshie, A.N.K; Abdul-Gafaru, A.; University of Ghana, College of Humanities, Business School, Department of Public Administration and Health Service Management
    Mining in Ghana is an important economic activity that can be traced back to the colonial times. Although it has contributed substantially to the national income purse, its benefits to the local populace have been of contestation because of the negative impact on the livelihoods of people who live close to mining areas. In order to mitigate the negative impacts of mining, an administrative fiat in 1992 created the Mineral Development Fund (MDF) as a way of redistributing part of mineral revenues to communities in close proximity with mining activities through the District Assemblies and Traditional Authorities. The aim of this study is to look at the factors that led to the establishment of the MDF, how the fund has been utilized by the Obuasi Municipal Assembly (OMA) and the chiefs, the challenges faced in the utilization of the fund and the extent to which chiefs and OMA can be held accountable in the utilization of mineral revenues. A qualitative approach was used for the study in which thirty (30) key actors were interviewed. The findings showed that OMA used its share of mineral revenues for general development purposes rather than focusing on mining affected communities while the chiefs used their share of mineral revenues for their personal activities. This has been fostered by unequal power relations in terms of access to information and influence in the decision making as well as institutional weakness in our governance system. The principal challenges that inhibit the effective use of the fund are fluctuations in mineral royalties, delays, absence of guidelines as to how to utilize mineral royalties and poor accountability mechanisms in the use of the fund.
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    The Political Economy of Petroleum Pricing in Ghana
    (University of Ghana, 2016-07) Akosa, F.; Abdul-Gafaru, A.; University of Ghana, College of Humanities, Business School, Department of Public Administration and Health Service Management
    This study aimed at examining how political economy factors influence the pricing of petroleum products in Ghana. The research intended to find out the powers and interests of the actors in determining the prices of petroleum products, the processes involved in implementing the prices of fuel and the implications of petroleum price deregulation on the Ghanaian economy. A qualitative approach was used in the data collection, analysis and presentations of which 22 respondents were interviewed. The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) with other actors such as the Ministry of Petroleum (MoP), Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST), Bulk Distribution Oil Companies (BDCs), and Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) were revealed as the powerful and influential actors in the pricing of fuel in Ghana. Actors influence the pricing of fuel through taxes/levies, policy guidelines, exchange rate and legal actions against the government. The findings of this study also show some power struggles among actors in the pricing of fuel. The Import Parity Method components; the ex-refinery price, taxes and distribution margins as well as the platt methods were revealed as the processes and methods involved in determining the prices of petroleum products in Ghana. The study revealed that the petroleum price deregulation policy has positive and negative implications on the Ghanaian economy. Positively, it brings more profit, improves the financial situation of the domestic market and increases the regular supply of petroleum products into the country. Negatively, the deregulation of fuel pricing brings unpredictable prices, and the time for implementing the policy was revealed as unfavorable. It is therefore recommended that government build the capacity of the key players so as to ensure healthy competition and stability in the pricing of petroleum products.