The minister designate for Trade and Industry has touted one of his biggest achievements as a deputy energy minister between the year 2001 to 2007.

According to him, his personal work was what led to the discovery of oil in the country by Tullow Oil and Kosmos Energy in the western region of Ghana.

His response comes after the minority chief whip asked what his achievements were after he served as deputy minister from 2001 to 2007, when he appeared before the committee for vetting.

“…it was through the administration of J. A. Kufuor under the ministry of energy and myself. My minister at the time was Kan Dapaah. He gave me the portfolio of petroleum. GNPC was literally not in existence, it had collapsed. He gave me that responsibility to make sure GNPC was on its two feet to make sure that they entered into proper exploration and so to develop and make sure we find oil in this country.

“I was mandated to travel all over the world to look for entrepreneurs, companies and to see if they could make sense of our potential. Mr Speaker it was I, KT Hammond, in May 2004 who signed [an] MOU which eventually led to KOSMOS discovering that oil in Ghana. That was the big achievement,” KT Hammond said.

Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, February 20, 2023, started vetting ministers and deputy minister-nominees recently announced by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The nominees to appear before the committee include Member of Parliament (MP) for Adansi Asokwa, K.T. Hammond, the Minister-designate for Trade and Industry and the MP for Nhyiaeso, Stephen Amoah (Sticka) who would be serving as his deputy.

MP for Abetifi, Bryan Acheampong was also nominated as the Minister for Food and Agriculture while Stephen Asamoah Boateng is going to the Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Ministry as minister.

Karaga MP, Mohammed Amin Adam, was named by the president as Minister of State at the Finance Ministry while Herbert Krapah was nominated deputy Minister for Energy.

YNA/FNOQ