A contract offer from Sentuo Oil Refinery, circulating online, offering a monthly salary of GH¢1,500 for the position of engineer, has sparked outrage among a segment of the Ghanaian population.
These individuals are demanding transparency and accountability from the government.
It’s important to note that the GH¢1,500 salary includes deductions for SSNIT (Social Security and National Insurance Trust) and other income tax deductions.
Previously, there were reports of the company paying some of its workers only GH¢800.
The government had granted Sentuo Oil over GH¢200 million in tax exemptions to facilitate the construction of the refinery.
Ghanaians argue that if the government provides tax exemptions to a foreign company, it should ensure that its citizens are fairly compensated when they work for these institutions.
According to a document sighted by GhanaWeb, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, submitted a request for parliament approval to consider and approve the waiver of “Import duties, Import NHIL, Import GETFUND, Import VAT, and EXIM levy, amounting to Ghana Cedi equivalent of Two Hundred and Six-One Million, Six Hundred and Forty-Eight Thousand, Three Hundred and Fifty-Three United States Dollars (US$261,648,353) in favour Sentuo Oil Refinery Limited.”
According to the GIPC Act 2013, Act 865 on supplies and equipment, Sentuo Oil Refinery Ltd. allegedly submitted an application for a strategic investor under section 26(4) of the said Act.
The document further noted that, in a letter dated February 6, 2023, the president gave final clearance for the tax waiver for the consideration and decision of Parliament.
The Tema Oil Refinery is believed to have a larger capacity, although the refinery only employs 420 people, compared to TOR’s more than 650.
“The refinery anticipates employing about 420 personnel. Staffing for the Refinery primarily consists of process units and auxiliary facilities personnel and is therefore driven by the characteristics of the Refinery’s facilities which range from complex processing units to somewhat simplified utility and offsite systems,” parts of the document read.
“In addition, a second major driver is that the Refinery operates continuously with a minimum annual on-stream time of 8,400 hours. For continuously operated units, there will be three shifts rotating in the daily cycle with a fourth shift required as relief, while for non-continuously operated units, two shifts or one shift according to needs,” it added.
Users of X (formerly Twitter) have voiced their concerns about how Ghanaians employed by international corporations are treated.