Government reviewing Local Content law for youth participation in oil and gas sector

Local content law states prioritization of employment for Ghanaians

A review of the law will give more opportunities to the youth

This will also create an enabling environment to boost the oil and gas sector

Deputy Minister for Energy, Andrew Egyapa Mercer has stated that government is reviewing the Ghana Local Content and Local Participation law.

According to him, the law will be redefined to an indigenous Ghanaian participation law. This, he believes, will gradually phase out foreigners in the oil and gas sector and present opportunities for indigenes.

“We are reviewing the local content law and to introduce not only local content but indigenous Ghanaian participation because we’ve realized that because of the nature of our laws any company that is incorporated in Ghana becomes a Ghanaian company because for purposes of local content that company then qualifies.”

The Ghana Local Content and Local Participation Bill 2013 is a bill passed in November 2013 by the Ghanaian government that stipulates that Ghanaians should be prioritised in terms of employment in the petroleum industry, and should benefit from the country's resources. The law is expected to ensure that Ghana's natural resources benefit Ghanaians, while also allowing foreign oil companies to reap fair returns on their investment.

Speaking at the branch opening of glass and facade company, Brittin Industries in Oyarifa the minister said, government is providing training for Ghanaian youths to equip them to fully take advantage of the sector.

“Of course, if you don’t have the competencies regardless of the opportunities that are created, you will not be able to leverage and take advantage of the opportunities. That is why government has embarked on an aggressive program to train more Ghanaian youth to enable them to build the competencies and capacities to participate in the oil and gas sector. That is the accelerated oil and gas program. Recently we embarked on a 150-man training program in the technical sphere just so that we can increasingly phase out foreign denomination in the space and introduce more Ghanaian participation," he added.