Govt to Prioritise Local Content in Oil and Gas Sector
OFFICIALS AT THE EVENT. THE OIL AND GAS DIALOGUE IS A TWO DAY EVENT HELD AT HOTEL AFRICANA
Government through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development has revealed that it will focus on achieving local content in the Oil and Gas sector.
Local content is the development of local skills, oil and gas technology transfer, and use of local manpower and local manufacturing.
However, Government believes that to score this target, efforts of other institutions will be much required.This was revealed by Peter Aimat Lokeris, the current Minister of State for Minerals during a press conference shortly after the first session of the Oil and Gas local content stakeholder dialogue, a two-day event being held at Hotel Africana.
“We decided that we should organize ourselves to get what we call local content,” started the Minister.
“But to achieve local content in Uganda’s oil sector, it will require combined efforts of all Companies like Banks, Private Oil companies, Environmentalists etc,” he added.
“The local content anticipates that Ugandans are involved, hence the calling of this workshop: to tell those who are involved and those who are aspiring to be involved what they are supposed to do and that’s why we are exhausting the presentations.”
He also urged all companies to participate and partner with the people in Uganda and Tanzania so as they can also benefit from the projects so as it is not seen as a ‘White Elephant’.
Through that, the Minister said that the industry will now be safe without need for security because everyone will be happy and contented, hence harmony and smoothness in trade.
The two day Oil and Gas dialogue was also attended by Ernest Nwapa from Nigeria, Association of Uganda Oil and Gas Suppliers (AUGOS) and The Association of Tanzania Oil and Gas Service Providers (ATOGS) officials –Prof. Charles Kwesiga and Ambassador Sefue Ombeni.
Speaking at the event, Ambassador Sefue noted: “This is a non-precedent level of political will that this project should be done in a manner that benefits our people both in Uganda and Tanzania.”
He added, “As the two associations, we try to bring two sides together; what the government wants to achieve and what our people are entitled to in terms of accessing the value of the resource.”
On his part, Ernest Nwapa said: “From the discussions I have witnessed, I can confirm that these two countries (Uganda and Tanzania) are well prepared, because they have already witnessed where other countries failed. Am very impressed because what I have seen and heard is far ahead than where we were at this very stage way back in Nigeria and I hope that next time when I come here, we will be exporting Ugandan Petroleum.”
SOURCE: Chimp reports
