Editorial: Prepare Tanzanians for the Eacop project

 

By The Citizen Reporter

Media/news company

Mwananchi Communication Limmited

Summary

·         But people need to be adequately prepared to be able grab all the opportunities that come their way at all stages of the development of the project. The government should see to it that a special organization is established to empower local communities on delivery of quality of goods and services.

It is all systems go for the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop) after the final formal approval was given by the Tanzanian government on Tuesday. This is good news. The pipeline has to be built to enable the commercialization of Ugandan oil.

That Tanzanian companies and individuals are also set to benefit is an undeniable fact.

Thousands of Tanzanian workers are expected to get jobs during the various phases of construction. It must be taken into account that 1,147km will pass in Tanzania, out of the total length of 1,443km for the pipeline.

It was announced that about 10,000 people will be hired during the construction stage as skilled and semi-skilled workers, and casual labourers. There is also an agreement in place that guarantees employment of informal local workers from each district through which the pipeline will pass.

This is in addition to ample opportunities that the Eacop project provides to indigenous service providers to offer goods and services. And here the local content legislation comes becomes useful as it will help guide the participation of Tanzanians in the project.

Small towns and, even, villages, along the pipeline’s path will not be forgotten, either. A business boom is in the offing as those working on the pipeline will need accommodation, food, beverages and a myriad of other amenities, products and services.

But people need to be adequately prepared to be able grab all the opportunities that come their way at all stages of the development of the project. The government should see to it that a special organization is established to empower local communities on delivery of quality of goods and services.

It will also be a minus if local people will be left to serve only as casual labourers. We understand there are efforts to train youth living along the pipeline path on basic skills in welding, truck driving, heavy equipment operations, and so forth. This should be fast racked. If possible some sponsorship should be available to those who can’t afford tuition fees.

At this juncture, however, it is important to stress the importance of both adequately addressing the concerns of activists and environmentalists. The Tanzanian and Ugandan governments to should not just dismiss these concerns but show clearly steps taken to minimize environmental impact to natural wildlife habitats.