200 Tanzanians trained on oil, gas through PSA

BY LYDIA SHEKIGHENDA

12th June 2013

Stephen Masele, Energy and Minerals deputy minister

At least 200 Tanzanians have been trained in the oil and gas sector through a fund paid by companies exploring the resources in the country as per pact known as Production Sharing Agreement (PSA).

Energy and Minerals deputy minister Stephen Masele said this here yesterday when responding to a basic question by Freeman Mbowe (Hai, Chadema).

In his question Mbowe had wanted to know the number of students who have benefited from the fund and the amount of money paid to it by the gas and oil exploring companies.
According to the PSA, Masele responded, each oil and gas exploring company was suppose to pay a certain amount of money to finance the training of experts from Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) and the government.
So far a total of 201 workers have been trained at different levels using the Fund whereby 27 are at PhD and Masters Degree levels, 150 people received short courses abroad while 24 received short courses within the country, he said.
Masele said that a total of USD6.6m was spent to cover the cost of training.

In the oil exploration contracts, he explained, each company contributes different amounts of money to finance training in the sector depending on the pact between the government, TPDC and an investor.

The Deputy Minister said that so far there are 25 companies in that have signed oil and gas and they have so far contributed USD12.425m.
Masele said that training on oil and gas is expensive but the government is making efforts to strengthen the country’s geological department to train more experts.

The government will continue to strengthen the Geology Department at the University of Dar es Salaam, he said, adding that the University of Dodoma has already established a department for oil and gas. 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN