The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | With the first oil expected towards the end of 2020 in Uganda, players are already exploring more ways of reaping from the sector.
The latest avenue was a two-day local content workshop organized by the Association of Uganda Oil and Gas Service Providers (AUGOS) in collaboration with the Association of Tanzania Oil and Gas Service Providers (ATOGS) held in Kampala from March 28-29.
Held under the theme ‘unlocking local content opportunities in the oil and gas sector’, the dialogue attracted over 300 participants and organizers.
“I have all the confidence that we are now moving to the promised land if we continue with this dialogue,” said Charles Kwesiga, the AUGOS chairman who also doubles as the Executive Director at Uganda Industrial Research Institute.
Kwesiga said the two associations are searching partners to embrace appropriate technologies, financing and skills with the ultimate goal of creating wealth, jobs and supporting industrialization.
Sefue Ombeni, the chairman of ATOGS said the dialogue was one way of bringing players from the two countries as partners in order to share opportunities.
He said they are working closely with Ugandan counterparts in forming partnerships for capital mobilsation and skills acquisition.
Meanwhile, Ernest Rubondo, the executive director of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda said the associations should eye opportunities related to human resource where, in the medium to long term 20% of the workers required would be experts or professionals and up to 70% – technicians.
He also revealed that the national supplier Database that had 1,285 companies by end of last year, was already connecting companies to partners in search for sector opportunities across the globe.
Over US$15bn is expected to be sunk in the oil and gas sector in the next three years with key funding projects being the refinery, the pipeline among others.
