Government is again being criticized for the delay in drawing a development plan for areas slated for commercial oil production.
Buliisa County Member of Parliament Stephen Birahwa Mukitale says the development plan for the oil region should have been in place now if envisaged activities are to be better coordinated.
He fears that government could falter if it continued carrying out activities towards commercial oil production in the absence of an overall plan for the region.
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Officials at Petroleum Exploration and Production Department have indicated that oil production could begin by 2015 once the planned construction of oil refinery is completed. The refinery is to be located in Hoima.
Mukitale says areas where oil exploration has been discovered and where commercial production is to take place require a range of social infrastructure to facilitate proper functioning of the planned refinery.
Mukitale notes that no funds have been committed in the new financial year for surveying the oil region as well as infrastructure like road network.
Western Youth MP Gerald Karuhanga says the absence of a comprehensive plan for the oil rift valley region indicates that oil region deployment activities are going on by default.
Karuhanga doubts whether government may within three years put in place infrastructure like roads and other amenities like water and power required at commercial oil production stage.
He says there is likely to be haphazard development in the absence of a plan on how the so-called oil-rich Albertine Graben is to be developed.
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Minerals State Minister Peter Lokeris in an interview said an inter-ministerial committee was established to develop an overall plan for the oil region.
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He says other activities towards commercial oil production will go on as the overall development plan is being drawn.
Exploration and appraisal activities across the basin have increased since China National Offshore Oil Company Limited (CNOOC Ltd) and Total acquired part of Tullow stakes in the oil fields.
