Tanzania has suspended talks between the government and foreign
investors in the oil and gas sector that would have set the tone for the
review of Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs). The suspension is
blamed on delays by the Attorney General’s chambers.
In 2018, the government ordered the review of laws and policy, putting the liquefied natural gas (LNG) project sector on hold.
The
$30 billion LNG project has been in the planning for the past five
years. Construction is set to start in 2022. The plant is expected to
add 10 per cent gas to Tanzania’s domestic use.
Speaking to The EastAfrican,
Felix Nanguka, Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) LNG
project manager said, “Negotiations have been temporarily suspended to
allow for the PSA on gas review. There was overlapping between issues
that were negotiated in the existing contracts.
“Since
all gas existing contracts need to be reviewed, the government decided
to suspend negotiations for a little while to allow for smooth
co-ordination between PSA review and negotiations,” he said.
Mr
Nanguka added that talks on the project will resume once the PSA’s
review is complete, “but we cannot predict when the talks will resume.
It is the government interest to expedite the exercise in order to have
the LNG project as scheduled.
Last month, Tanzania’s Minister for Energy Medard Kalemani told
stakeholders at an oil and gas congress in Dar es Salaam that the
government is working with Norwegian oil and gas firm Equinor, and Royal
Dutch Shell to ensure that the LNG project is implemented according to
the timeline.
PSAs set out the terms under which exploration and production can take place.
According
to the oil and gas authority, the government’s objective is to
negotiate terms with the oil and gas industry that are fair and
balanced, bearing in mind the risks associated with exploration and the
state’s legitimate desire for revenues as owner of a depleting,
non-renewable, natural resource.
In 2017, President
John Magufuli endorsed a clause in the Natural Wealth and Resources
Contracts law that allows the government to renegotiate or remove terms
from agreements deemed by it to be “unconscionable”.
The
move to a full review of existing contracts and redrafting where
necessary to ensure maximum benefit for Tanzania, came after a special
Parliamentary Committee discovered massive loopholes of tax evasion,
unfair contracts, and manipulation by companies to decrease payments to
the government.
Similar observations were found during a special committee investigation of the mining sector in 2017.
Analysts
say that further delays in setting up the LNG export facility could
affect the country’s chances of attracting foreign direct investments.
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