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Central Region urged to boost salt production to support oil
industry
Cape Coast, April 23, Ghanadot/GNA - Nana
Ato Arthur, Central Regional Minister on Tuesday urged
assemblies, departments and institutions in the Central
Region to map out strategies to undertake large scale
production of salt an essential ingredient in the oil
industry.
He pointed out that the region would benefit directly and
indirectly from the discovery of oil in the Western Region,
with salt currently being produced on small-scale in
Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA), Mfantseman, Effutu and
Gomoa Districts.
Nana Arthur made the call when addressing the opening
session of a day’s “Regional Consultative Forum on Oil and
Gas Policy Document”, for Municipal and District Chief
Executives and Heads and Representatives of Departments and
Institutions in Cape Coast.
The forum, a follow up to the national forum on oil held
recently at GIMPA, was to collate views of the participants
to boost provisions in the draft policy document.
Nana Arthur said the Central Regional Coordinating Council
had initiated “serious discussions” with relevant
stakeholders on how the region’s fortunes would be enhanced,
especially in tourism and human resource development.
He stressed the need for research into the by-product of
crude oil to maximize the use of crude oil, adding “we have
the unique opportunity to put in place the appropriate
mechanism and best practices to ensure that everyone
benefits from the oil discovery”.
Nana Arthur called on stakeholders to guard against factors
that might affect the country to benefit from the oil
discovery as pertained in some oil producing countries.
He urged the participants to make available the desired
inputs that would ensure efficient management of oil
revenue, in a comprehensive policy for the development of
the economy, especially agriculture and industry.
Dr Mathew Appiagyei Gyamfi, Director of Petroleum at the
Ministry of Energy, briefed the participants on the draft
policy document in the key areas on resource, revenue,
environmental management and security.
He explained that the main objective of the policy was to
review current petroleum laws, to ensure the nation became a
net petroleum and fuel exporter and a major player in the
petroleum industry.
Dr Gyamfi said these were expected to be done in an
environmentally sustainable manner, through the improvement
of technology and knowledge transfer in petroleum operation.
He announced that the construction of an additional oil
refinery to be undertaken by AGORG Ghana Limited would soon
begin at Takoradi.
During an open forum, Mr Alex Hughes, Central Regional
Commander of Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), said there
was the need for a policy to prohibit the establishment of
industries near refineries to forestall extensive damage
during fire outbreaks.
He said GNFS did not have the requisite equipment to fight
major industrial fires.
Dr Kofi Nyarko, Lecturer at the Department of Geography and
Tourism at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) contributing
on human capacity building stressed the need to adequately
equip laboratories of the relevant tertiary institutions for
the desired research in the industry.
Air Commodore Richard Awuku(Rtd), Central Regional Security
Advisor, observed that rather than establish a new
coastguard unit, the capacity of the Ghana Navy should be
improved to forestall overlapping of duties.
Other participants stressed the need for security
coordination and comprehensive environmental protection
strategies.
GNA
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