East African Community to formulate uniform oil and gas policy

Wednesday, 17th August, 2011

An oil and gas policy that is binding to all the East African Community (EAC) member states is in the offing, a top official said yesterday.

Dr Caleb Nyamajeje, the director of production in the EAC, told journalists in Arusha, that for Uganda’s oil resources to benefit the regional bloc, a uniform oil and gas policy that supersedes Uganda’s oil law will have to be in place. All laws and policies passed at the EAC level automatically take precedence over national laws passed in the member states.

“We already have experts working on a joint EAC oil and gas policy. They will come up with a document soon.

“We are in joint efforts to fasttrack the development of Uganda’s oil resources. We expect Uganda’s oil to benefit the whole region in the spirit of the East African Community,” Nyamajeje said.

He pointed out that the EC members states will buy Uganda’s oil first before looking elsewhere.

By Joe Nam : The New Vision Newspaper