Tanzania: EAC

ALLAFRICA.COM

ARUSHA TIMES [26/01/13]

President Jakaya Kikwete is expected to officially open the Sixth East African Petroleum Conference and Exhibition, which will be taking place in Arusha from the 5th to the 8th of February 2013.

The Tanzanian Head of State will also address the conference participants during the second day of the event on Wednesday, February 6th, when the Minister for Energy and Minerals Prof Sospeter Muhongo and the EAC Secretary General Dr Richard Sezibera are also going to issue their remarks.

According to the East African Community's Director of Productive Sectors Dr Nyamajeje Weggoro some of the meeting agendas include reports on the 'Developments in the Petroleum Sector in Tanzania and Burundi,' to be presented by Dr Wellington Hudson of the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation and Mr Gideon Nizetye from the Burundi Ministry of Energy and Mines.

The conference comes just as Tanzania is facing series of controversies surrounding the proposed piping to Dar-es-salaam the newly discovered gas resources in in Lindi and Mtwara regions.

In line with that, Engineer Joyce Kisamo, also from TPDC is expected to deliver her presentation on the Tanzania' Natural Gas Development, Utilization and Contribution to Economy, during the EAPC event.

There will also be presentations on the Status of Emerging Petroleum Sector in Rwanda by Dr Biryabarema Michael from the Rwandas national resources Authority and the report on the Changing Oil and Gas exploration Landscape of Kenya by the country's Ministry of Energy through Mr Hudson Andambi.

"We at EAC are working to connect the five member states with gas and oil pipelines as well as railway network to ensure that the abundant natural resources being discovered within the region circulate in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi for the benefit of our people," said Dr Weggoro adding that, some of these issues will be discussed during the four-day conference.