Established under the NPA Act 2005 (Act 691), Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has teamed up with the judiciary to combat the growing criminal activity in the downstream petroleum industry, which accounts for roughly 6% of the country’s GDP in 2020.
On July 15, 2025, NPA CEO Godwin Kudzo Tameklo met with Acting Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to propose the establishment of a Petroleum Court specifically designed to speed up prosecution of fuel-related offenses, including as adulteration, tax evasion, and smuggling, which have increased by 57% since 2022.
Cases under the present court system take an average of 18 to 24 months, which undermines investor trust and energy security. Although the NPA was granted prosecution authority in 2020 (E.I. 378), the sluggish judicial procedures make enforcement difficult.
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To guarantee prompt justice, Tameklo suggested a specialized court or a designated judge, highlighting the industry’s contribution to the country’s energy and economic security. While praising the concept, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie pointed up obstacles such as a lack of judges and a backlog of cases.
In line with more comprehensive changes, such as the NPA’s recent stakeholder engagements on consumer complaint standards, this partnership seeks to improve regulatory enforcement, discourage unlawful activity, and safeguard consumers.
