By Deus Mukalazi Should the US$ 331.4 million budgeted for the Karuma Power project and the purchase of military jets have been our first During her budget speech this year, the Minister of Finance, Maria Kiwanuka allocated US$ 331.4 million for the Karuma Hydro Power Project. The minister was only …
Read More »Understand the transparency initiative on oil
By Deus Mukalazi Supporting the EITI is a good thing; understanding how it works is even better One of the resolutions passed by the 9th Parliament on Oct.11 was a demand for the government to join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). Seeing and hearing the members of Parliament chorus …
Read More »Oil bribery scandal
By Independent Investigations The story behind the news In August 2010, a source brought to The Independent a series of documents showing bank transfers of large amounts of money to two ministers: Sam Kutesa of Foreign Affairs and Hillary Onek, then of Energy and Mineral Development. According to the documents, …
Read More »Oil could cause war
By Mubatsi Asinja Habati Museveni guarding against outsiders but the danger is internal, say experts On Aug. 2 Uganda’s oil rich western border with the Democratic Republic of Congo showed once again that it can erupt into insecurity at any time. Barely three months to the tense November 28 presidential …
Read More »Oil
By Eriasa Mukiibi Sserunjogi New US law to expose details of Shs 1.3 trillion Tullow deal When Tullow Oil pays US$140 million (Approx. Shs 395 billion) to the government this month, it will mark the first time such a deal will have been struck without secrecy in Uganda. It will …
Read More »Pay the tax money or get out
How angry Museveni letter got Tullow Oil bosses to act Kampala, Uganda | The Independent Team | It was an act of greed that “flabbergasted” even the President himself. Wildcat oil explorer Heritage got paid US$1.5 billion (Approx. Shs 3.5 trillion or half Uganda’s 2010/11 national budget) for its shares in …
Read More »Slippery oil agreements
By Jocelyn Edwards Experts could demand renegotiation of Uganda’s PSAs In response to the June 29 tabling of the Petroleum Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs) by Energy Minister Hilary Onek, Rubanda West MP Banyenzaki says parliamentarians will seek expert analysis in order to determine whether or not they are fair to …
Read More »Oil companies punch hole in secrecy over agreements
By Jocelyn Edwards Confronted by MPs at a petroleum governance workshop two weeks ago, Energy Minister Hillary Onek promised to table the Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs) with oil companies the very next Tuesday.When he did not appear in parliament that day, June 22nd, no one was surprised however. Government has …
Read More »Small independent oil companies must expand
By Joan Akello Shell exit They are small operators, without depots. Some are a single, stand alone service station while others belong to a group. They are called “small independents” because unlike the big oil companies like Shell or Total, they answer to nobody. Since Shell announced it was divesting …
Read More »Oil revenues: Lessons for Uganda from Ghana
By Agencies Ghana’s total revenue from the oil and gas find will represent less than five per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the Energy Minister, Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei. With the country’s current GDP at well over $18 billion, Dr Oteng-Adjei said the total revenue to …
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