Kesho
jumamosi wabunge tumealikwa kwenye semina kuhusu sera ya Gesi Asilia. Tumegawiwa
tayari nakala zetu, tena zipo kwenye lugha ya kimombo.
Ikumbukwe
kwamba kuanzia tarehe 22 - 23 Mei 2013 kutakuwa na mjadala wa bajeti ya Wizara
ya Nishati na Madini. Semina hii ni maandalizi ya Bajeti hii.
Jambo
la kushangaza ni kwamba wakati sera ya Gesi Asilia ipo kwenye rasimu na ndio
kwanza wabunge tumeletewa kutoa maoni, Serikali tayari imetangaza tena kugawa
vitalu vya Mafuta na Gesi kwenye Bahari kuu na Ziwa Tanganyika Kaskazini.
Zabuni
hii mpya ya vitalu vya utafutaji imetolewa wakati kuna maamuzi ya Bunge kuzuia
ugawaji huu mpya mpaka sera ya Gesi Asilia na Sheria ya Gesi vikamilike.
Haraka
hii ya serikali kugawa vitalu bila sera wala Sheria inatoka wapi? Nitashangaa
sana wabunge kukimbilia posho za semina hii na kuhalalisha maamuzi yasiyo
zingatia maslahi ya Taifa Kwa vizazi vya sasa na vijavyo. Uamuzi wa kugawa
vitalu vipya bila kwanza kuwepo Kwa sera na Sheria mpya unapaswa kupingwa Kwa
Nguvu zote.
Tafuta
mbunge wako, mwambie asikubali maamuzi haya ya serikali.
Tumalize
kwanza sera na Sheria ndio tugawe vitalu vipya. Gesi sio viazi, haiozi.
Naomba
tureje statement yangu ya mwaka jana September 2012:
Oil
and Gas in Tanzania: Building For A Sustainable Future
A Call for a moratorium on
new offshore exploration.
Tanzania
is on the precipice of an economic evolution with the recent discoveries of gas.
We have now confirmed reserves of 43 Trillion Cubic feet (TCF), roughly valued
at USD 430bn[i]. Plans for LNG production are moving ahead of
schedule.
As a result there will be considerable new gas resources available for
power generation and other needs for our economy and people including domestic
use, petrochemical industries and fertilizer plants.
Our nascent oil and gas
industry is set to expand greatly with the upcoming Fourth Licencing Round,
which, according to Minister Sospeter Muhongo, is scheduled to be launched in
Houston, Texas on September 13. We are now informed that the licencing round has
been delayed. This is not enough and more work needs to be done.
The
Fourth Licencing Round should be put on hold – postponed for ten years. In this,
we echo the demand of Parliament’s Energy and Minerals Committee earlier this
year (April 2012, Annual Report of the Committee) and the concerns of other
informed citizens.
It is very unfortunate that the recommendation to postpone
the licensing round, supported by a Parliamentary Committee on Public
Investments (POAC) and approved by a Parliamentary resolution, was largely
ignored by the Ministry and TPDC.
A moratorium will not only allow us to manage
our new resources effectively it will also ensure the welfare of future
generations. This is something the Government must take seriously.
We,
as responsible leaders, have a duty to safeguard this country’s resources for
future generations. This will require effective and sustainable management of
our oil and gas reserves. The licencing round for the oil and gas offshore
blocks announced by the Ministry through TPDC undermines our mandate to the
Tanzanian people. If all exploration blocks are being licenced, what will our
grand-children and great-grandchildren, who will be more educated and well
prepared, do? It is critical that we approach these issues not in a short-term
strategic thinking but long-term. We may not be here tomorrow but Tanzania will
be.
We
are not prepared for an expansion of exploration activity. Current legislation
is out-dated and does not mirror the current political and economic status quo.
We have no overarching Gas Policy, however progress has been made as both the
Gas Act and Policy are currently being crafted.
Nevertheless to continue on with
a new round of licensing before these policies are complete is irresponsible.
More importantly, we do not have legislation that will manage revenues from the
sector.
We need more time for the policies and legislative acts to be
implemented. We will also need more time for institutions to be in place.
A
ten-year moratorium will give us the space to develop our capacity in key
areas. TPDC can be overhauled to become an active exploration and
production company, modelled on Malaysia’s Petronas. Currently, TPDC does not
have the capacity or resources to be an effective and strong partner in
developing our reserves. These capacity deficits include the ability to conduct
basic geological surveys, contract negotiations and management as well as
production and processing.
A moratorium will allow us to support TPDC to become
a strong and reliable trustee and gatekeeper of the country’s resources.
A
ten-year moratorium will allow us to build the necessary
institutions that we will need to effectively benefit from these
resources. These include establishing and supporting a Sovereign Development
Fund , to manage revenues; coordinating with our educational institutions to
train and foster young Tanzanians so they can confidently work and engage in
this industry; and an oversight committee that would include parliamentarians,
civil society organizations and local communities. These stakeholders would be
mandated to ensure that our resources are used effectively and fairly.
A
ten-year moratorium on offshore exploration will ensure that our increasingly
young population will enjoy the benefits of our natural resources for
generations to come. We kindly request the Government to stop any new licencing
of exploration blocks and refocus all efforts into building the capacity to
manage the discovered resources, make wise decisions and prepare the nation for
a Natural Gas Economy in a timely manner.
Our
past mistakes in the mining sector should guide us, as we comprehend the
challenges and opportunities presented by the oil and gas sector. The country
must first build strong accountability measures, ensure transparency, develop
critical human capital and learn from case studies of other gas economies before
licencing any new blocks. We need to think strategically and understand the
long-game rather than thinking about short-term gains. As a result, we think 10
years will be enough to implement the necessary interventions and build a strong
and sustainable oil and gas economy for all Tanzanians.
Kabwe Zuberi Zitto, MP