The Chairman of the Board of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Freddie Blay, has clarified that the recent increases in allowances for GNPC management is reasonable.
Mr. Blay, who is also the former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), dismissed claims that the increases were excessive.
He said these adjustments were actually implemented two years ago, refuting assertions made by North Tongu Member of Parliament Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa suggesting otherwise.
Mr. Ablakwa had taken to the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, to allege that GNPC management had raised their allowances by as much as 150 percent.
He cited intercepted memos indicating a surge in daily hotel rates from $400 to $1000, depending on the destination.
However, Mr. Blay countered these claims, stating that any modifications in allowances were deemed reasonable and were collectively agreed upon by GNPC.
He further disclosed that, the increases were not extravagant and were made taking into account the prevailing circumstances.
“GNPC agreed across the board to increase allowances and it wasn’t fantastic. It was not outrageous. It was reasonable and it was in 2022. So if somebody was complaining of it and made it look like this is 2024, he was only taking advantage of such reasonable increases and capital out of it.”
Mr Blay’s response comes amid public scrutiny about the adjustments, particularly given Ghana’s current economic challenges.
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