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| | Call for Papers and Presentations: 63rd Annual New Year School and Conference. THEME: One Year Of Oil And Gas Production: Emerging Issues |    | | | Ghana’s oil reserves and daily production may not be significant in comparison with countries such as Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Angola. However, the announcement in 2008 of oil discovery in commercial quantity has generated a lot of expectation among Ghanaians. This high expectation has been fuelled by the various projections to be derived from oil production revenue. In an internal document reported by the Financial Times (cited in ISODEC, 2008), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) indicated government would make $1.3 billion in 2013, more than cocoa and gold earnings combined. Ghana National petroleum Company (GNPC) estimates also show that the country could reap in an amount of $836 million per year. In spite of the exciting news, there is a growing pessimism that governments may not invest the revenues in critical areas of development to raise the standard of living of Ghanaians as has been the case in many African oil producing countries. There is enough evidence on the continent of Africa and elsewhere to show that countries rich in natural resources tend to grow slower than countries that have fewer resources at their disposal. Though Ghana is endowed with natural resources and has been exploiting these resources, mining towns that produce these resources have benefitted very little in terms of infrastructure.
One year of oil production has raised many challenges which Ghanaians think ought to be addressed if the windfalls from oil production would reach the ordinary Ghanaian. There are concerns about issues of transparency as well as the efficient and effective use of oil revenue to meet health, education and other social needs. While various laws have been passed to safeguard the interest of the country, civil society organizations and political parties are calling for stricter laws and broader consultation and full disclosure of the laws. Other concerns include the ‘Dutch disease’ which usually leads to the neglect of the non-oil sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing. Concerns have also been raised about environmental management, security, human capital, infrastructure development and the level of local participation in the oil industry. There is no doubt that the commercial production of oil will change the socio-economic landscape of the Western Region of Ghana. The value of land will appreciate as more companies and individuals seek land. The inflow of companies and individuals will pose a lot of challenges to indigenes as they have to compete with others for scarce resources. There will also be an increase in the flow of job seekers leading to social pressure and escalation of social vices.
It is against this background that the 63rd Annual New Year School and Conference which will begin from January 8, 2012 and end on January 14, 2012 is calling for papers and posters from researchers, students, development planners and civil society organizations on the sub-themes of the School.
Submissions:
A 150-word abstract on any of the sub-thematic areas should be submitted to: Prof. Yaw Oheneba-Sakyi, pad@ug.edu.gh / aposa1982@yahoo.com. Please include name and title/position, institutional or organizational affiliation and contact information when submitting the abstract.
Important Deadlines:
• Submission of Abstracts: 30th November, 2011
• Full Paper or Poster: 14th December, 2011
Publication:
Papers accepted will be published in proceedings of the conference.
Proposed Sub-Themes
The following sub-themes will provide the platform for discussions at the School and Conference.
• Promoting the Non-oil Sectors to Prevent the ‘Dutch Disease’
• The Role of Financial Services in the Oil and Gas Economy
• Ensuring Transparency in Oil and Gas Revenue Management
• Poverty Reduction and Oil Revenue
• Developing the Human Capital for the Oil and Gas Industry
• Empowering the Youth for the Oil and Gas Industry
• Challenges and Prospects of Infrastructure Development in an Oil and Gas Economy
• Oil Discovery and Economic and Socio-Cultural Problems
• Gender and the Oil Industry
• Health, Safety and Environmental Management in the Oil and Gas Industry
• Legal Framework for the Oil and Gas Production
• Yellow Gold Management: Implications for the Black Gold
• Maritime Security and the Oil and Gas Industry
• Oil and Gas Revenue for Delivering MDGs
• Local Content and Participation
• The media and the Oil and Gas Industry: Protecting the National Interest | | | | Date Published: 10/11/2011 | | | |   |
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