Author: ELKANA KUHENGA
AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE Ministry of Energy and Minerals, through the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), has cautioned the public against misleading information that has started circulating regarding tendering procedures and job opportunities as implementation of East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project draws closer.
According to an advertisement issued on Friday by TPDC, some unscrupulous individuals and firms have taken to the social media outlets, issuing false information on the announcement on bids for the project and job opportunities.
TPDC stated that all bids for the projects will be announced by TOTAL Company, a shareholder to the EACOP project, charged with the responsibilities of supervising all duties.
TOTAL announced that it reached an agreement in the purchase of all shares of the Tullow Company which was one of the partners in the EACOP project.
“TPDC as the main partner of the project on behalf of the Tanzanian government, would like to inform the public that all bids for the project will be announced by TOTAL which is the shareholder. No intermediary or agent has been given such a responsibility,” TDPC statement read in part.
Following this agreement, all tenders regarding the project that had been suspended will be called for re-launch and talks between project partners and the government of Uganda and Tanzania are expected to be completed in September this yea.
The Final Investment Decision (FID) of the project is set to be reached by partners this December, and the project infrastructure shall begin in the early next year.
The Minister for Energy Dr Medard Kalemani announced earlier this year that the construction of the EACOP from Hoima in Uganda to Chongolea in Tanga will begin in March 2021.
He said besides, the government had negotiated with Total company on plans to continue negotiating a joint venture agreement as well as a transactional agreement to bring the balance of all agreements forward to FID.
Dr Kalemani said the government had already taken various steps, including compensation assessment work for all people living in the project area, which will run through more than 24 districts, 86 wards and 278 residential localities as well as environmental impact assessments throughout the project.
Currently, Total Oil and the Ugandan government are in final talks regarding the project, and shortly after completing the talks, they will begin discussions with the Tanzanian government , the host country.
