The Ghana Oil and Gas Service Providers
Association (GOGSPA) says the Atuabo Free Port project starting in the Western
Region, has immense potential for job creation.
The group believes that contrary
to claims by critics that the project pose a risk to workers at the existing
Takoradi port, the Freeport would rather open up the country’s port system for
more jobs.
Parliament last year approved
the 600 million dollar commercial agreement for the freeport project which is a
public private partnership aimed at creating a dedicated oil and gas port along
the coast of Ghana to serve the emerging oil and gas industry in the
sub-region.
However, five minority MPs
filed a suit at the Sekondi High Court challenging the agreement. The Court
dismissed the case, and a subsequent appeal at the Cape Coast Court of Appeal
was also dismissed.
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| Dr. Nuertey Adzeman, |
The MPs in a statement after
the dismissal, accused government of manipulating the legal process, and
maintained that the project posed a risk to the nation.
GOGSPA, in a statement issued
in reaction to the claims by five MPs, described the criticism as misplaced.
The statement, signed by Dr.
Nuertey Adzeman, Executive Director of the association,stated “the argument by
the parliamentarians to defend Takoradi Ports and protect jobs of many
Ghanaians working there cannot be justified.”
The association is convinced
that with the Atuabo Freeport, the local content could be given a
major impetus with an increase in Ghanaian participation in the percentage of locally produced materials,
the number of local personnel, and the amount of goods and services rendered in the petroleum
industry value chain.
“Indeed, the Atuabo Freeport
project is complementary to that of
Takoradi and will not displace any workers as being claimed. Quite on the
contrary, the new port will rather create more new job opportunities for
Ghanaians,” it said
It drew attention to the fact
that Ghana’s second FPSO for the TEN project, was being built in Singapore with
very limited Ghanaian participation.
“Given the oil discovery of
our West Coast, Ghana is expected to have at least six
FPSOs in operation offshore Ghana. Fabrication work holds immense potential for service providers and the
existence of a fabrication yard at the Atuabo Freeport will serve us well.
“As service providers, the new
port will provide us with the opportunity to develop our capacity to service the industry not only in Ghana but
in the wider regional market,” it said.
Regarding security, it said
the 1974 SOLAS Convention of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO),
which took effect on July 1,2004; International
Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) code would be applied at the Port,
indicating that the argument by the critics of the project that this new port
will pose a security risk to Ghana was flawed because there would be a
dedicated facility located at the port to oversee security.
“The local content and
participation provisions within our Petroleum Laws seek to promote the maximisation of value addition through the
use of local expertise, goods, services and materials in petroleum activities and the retention in
country of as much activity as possible.
“Unfortunately, the
manufacturing and industrial base of Ghana is at this point in time not sufficiently mature to take advantage of
the growing opportunities in the industry. As such, most goods utilised in the petroleum values
chain are imported.
“We believe the Atuabo free
port project would maximise in-country spending, build local capacity and help
ensure technology transfer.
According to the association,
“any action to hold back its development can only be detrimental to the
many service providers the industry requires.”
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