Petroleum Products Bill validated

Hon. Ousman Jammeh, secretary of state for Energy, yesterday presided over a one-day validation workshop on the Petroleum Products Bill, held at the Paradise Suites Hotel in Kololi.

In his opening remarks, SoS Jammeh observed that the bill came at a time when activities in the petroleum sector are steadily expanding. The new petroleum depot at Mandinaring, with a 51 metric ton capacity, was inaugurated in April last year. This Bill, he said, seeks to address all activities relating to refining of crude oil, transportation, storage, sale and distribution of petroleum products, and also to regulate the activities of all actors through a licensing regime that shall be subjected to review on a periodical basis.

He added that the government of The Gambia believes that all investors are true partners in development and that as such, their involvement at every stage of its development process is crucial. "On top of the government’s agenda is the protection of lives and properties of its citizens. The bill has therefore provided adequate measures to cover health, safety, and environmental issues which will not only protect lives and properties but also the environment in which we live and operate these businesses. Therefore, if enacted, it will go a long way in mitigating fatal accidents associated with these highly flammable products," he stated.

SoS Jammeh went on to emphasise that the development of this legislation is to create a fair and level playing field for all operators in the business of petroleum products. The bill, he added, will therefore ensure that laws formulated provide clean and transparent rules for all operators; create a level playing field for all investors so that there is fair competition, and provide protection to the consumer and genuine investors from unfair trading practices.

He sought to encourage all stakeholders in the sector to give their full support to the Bill. "I wish to thank the drafting committee, the task force, my staff and all those who worked relentlessly in the development of this bill. I also wish to thank and extend my sincere gratitude to the various government institutions that provided the financial support for the development of this Bill - GPA, NAWEC, PURA GNPC and the Petroleum Commission - without their invaluable financial support, this legislation would not have reached this stage of development," he concluded.

For his part, Modou O Njie, representing the permanent secretary at the Department of State for Energy, said that reliable, efficient and affordable energy is essential for any country’s meaningful development, thus the government of The Gambia has put energy as a key priority in its development agenda. Njie noted that this motivated government to establish the Department of State for Energy in 2007, tasked to ensure that energy in all its forms is made not only available but also affordable and is utilised efficiently. According to him, in order to make energy sufficiently available, sustainable and affordable, the government deemed it necessary to create a conductive atmosphere for private sector participation.

In the interest of fair participation, policies and regulation must exist to guide the participation of all stakeholders including the consumers, he said, adding that this led to the development of the National Energy Policy and Electricity Act 2005.