Africa-Press – Tanzania. TANZANIA Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) has pledged more engagement of local consultants and contractors, as the move will save billions compared to assigning foreign companies.
TPDC Managing Director, Dr James Mataragio gave an example of running of Madimba Gas Processing Plant by its subsidiary company, Gasco by 100 per cent which has saved 113bn/- compared to the time when the plant was under a Chinese company.
He gave the statistics yesterday during the annual meeting of National Economic Empowerment Council (NEEC) in which TPDC was the main sponsor, saying they will inject more in inclusive economic empowerment in the natural gas sector.
“We launched the Madimba gas processing plant in 2012, and during that time the Chinese were running the plant, but today it is under our subsidiary company, Gasco, and we have managed to cut down the operation cost by almost 45-million US dollar (about 113bn/-),” he said.
He expressed TPDC’s commitment to become a leading integrated National Oil and Gas Company competing nationally, regionally and globally in an environmentally responsible manner for the benefit of all stakeholders.
Dr Mataragio said TPDC will participate and engage in exploration, development, production and distribution of oil and gas and related services, facilitate a fair-trading environment, safeguard the national supply of petroleum products, at the same time developing quality and safety standards to protect people, property and the environment.
He said most of the projects being undertaken by TPDC subsidiaries of Tanoil Investment and Gasco have the inclusive economic empowerment content which is being advocated by the government, especially in the local content which they have the exclusive rights of advocacy.
He said TPDC participates in inclusive economic empowerment content in the aspects of local content and capacity building of Tanzanians so that they engage fully and tap opportunities availed in the oil and gas sector project implementation.
Dr Mataragio said in the last five years, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) were being carried out by foreign companies, but currently the share is being run by local companies by 100 per cent.
The Managing Director said the local content and capacity building have been of success in the oil and gas sector as there are change of focus, management, operations and service delivery with local companies enjoying a large share.
He said pipes used for natural gas distributions are manufactured by local companies, saying they are mobilizing industries to tap opportunities available by applying for tenders that are being put upfront.
