Two-day Development Forum opens in Western Region
Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, Western Regional Minister, on Friday, assured people in the region that the government was doing everything possible to ensure that the oil and gas find became a blessing and not a curse.
He said this in an address read for him, at a two-day Western Regional Development Forum, organized by the Nana Kobina Nketsia IV Trust and the Friends of the Nation (FoN), at Takoradi.
Members of Parliament, Assembly Members, Traditional rulers, members of the Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry, government officials and community leaders are attending the forum.
It is under the theme, “Preparing Minds and Space towards Oil and Gas Culture”.
Mr Aidoo said the government was vigorously finalizing a comprehensive local content policy, which would delineate the extent of local participation and the benefit sharing ratio of the oil and gas revenue.
He said through this policy, the government was seeking to provide the enabling environment and opportunities for Ghanaians to benefit from the economic wealth that would accrue from the activities in the oil and gas industry.
Mr Aidoo said this would be achieved through the participation of Ghanaians in the ownership, operation, control and management in the industry.
He said the core business of the policy was that companies that are directly involved in the oil exploration, management and provision of ancillary services are to be compelled to employ and train Ghanaians in the industry.
Mr Aidoo said it is important for the people to prepare themselves socially and economically to fully participate and derive the maximum benefits possible from the oil and gas industry.
He said all stakeholders, including Chiefs, who have the development of the region at heart, to fashion out programmes to ensure that indigenes enrol in courses related to the industry, to acquire the relevant skills to gain employment in the sector.
Mr Aidoo said this would reduce the phenomenon, where people from outside the region usually end up getting employed in key sectors of industries, whilst indigenes are relegated to doing menial jobs.
He further urged chiefs and opinion leaders in the region to take advantage of each and every opportunity to advise their subjects and followers to add value to the jobs, in order to be relevant to the emerging industry, and to dispel all erroneous perceptions they have in mind.
Mr Aidoo hoped the forum would afford the region the opportunity to come out with an integrated social and economic agenda to ensure that it did not suffer the same fate as in the case of the discovery of gold, bauxite and manganese.
Source: GNA