The pipeline which will at completion become the longest heated oil pipeline in the world will cover 1,443km from Hoima District in Uganda to Tanga in Tanzania running though ten districts of Hoima, Kikuube, Kakumiro, Kyankwanzi, Gomba, Mubende, Lwengo, Sembabule, Kyotera and Rakai. In The Tanzanian side of the pipeline will cover 1,147km, through eight regions; Kagera, Geita, Shinyanga, Tabora, Singida, Dodoma, Manyara, Tanga.
According to Peter Kenneth Bintu, the Enterprise Officer – Petroleum Authority of Uganda, this project will boost Uganda’s economy and improve people’s livelihoods. He explains that the government ring-fenced 16 sectors for only local suppliers which will benefit communities where the pipeline will pass. He says they expect to set up five camps with a minimum of five thousand people.
Bintu adds that the Petroleum Authority of Uganda has publicized the available opportunities and that Ugandan individual and well-organized groups can benefit from these during the four years of the pipeline construction. They can supply agricultural produces, civil works such as construction, transport, human resource services, health, housing among others.
He also advised farmers to form cooperatives that can be able to supply large quantities consistently.
However Bintu warned that much as these opportunities are ring-fenced for Ugandans, the quality standards will not be lowered and failure to supply the required items may force the contractors to hire foreign companies to do the job.
PAU contracted Stanbic Bank Business Incubator Ltd to conduct the training. According to Tony Otao Otoa, the Chief Executive Officer of the program, they have already given out forms to the District Commercial Officers for distribution. He adds that they will train 200 small and medium sized enterprises mainly farmers and agribusiness dealers based on the number of slots that will be applied for the free training.
Otoa says that the EACOP project is the first opportunity in Uganda urging the communities in the pipeline route should utilise the opportunity before it’s too late. He says that the training is geared towards accessing markets, improving the quality of products, and trying to link them with the companies which already secured contracts with Total.
Much as there are still issues to do with the delayed compensation, Christopher Manzi, the Global Rights Alert Official, says they are arranging different symposiums to enlighten communities about the available opportunities before it’s too late.
Lwengo District Natural Resources Officer Godfrey Mutemba, who is also the EACOP focal person says that the FID is enough indication that things may move so fast and urged the residents to collect the forms from the District commercial officers in time.
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