Posts Tagged ‘Prof. Muhongo’
Sera ya Gesi: Maoni ya awali #RasimuyaGesiAsilia #TanzaniaNaturalGasPolicy
Jana wabunge tumegawiwa rasimu ya Sera ya Gesi Asilia. Leo Wizara ya Nishati na Madini itaendesha semina kwa wabunge kuhusu sera hiyo.
Draft 3- The Natural Gas Policy of Tanzania -2013(Rasimu ya Sera ya Gesi Asilia)
Nimepata muda kidogo wa kuipitia hii rasimu ya 3 nikiwa safarini kwenda Tabora kwa shughuli za chama changu cha CHADEMA , nina maoni ya awali kama ifuatavyo;
1). Kwa ujumla kupata Sera mpya ya gesi asilia ni hatua muafaka japo imechelewa sana. Hata hivyo ni bora kuchelewa kuliko kutofika kabisa. Ni vema wananchi wachukue fursa hii kuisoma na kuijadili rasimu hii na kuiboresha ili iwezeshe wananchi wenyewe kufaidika na utajiri ambao nchi yetu imejaaliwa.
2). Sera ina jumla ya sura Sita. Sura ya kwanza ya inaweka sababu na masuala ya jumla na utangulizi . Sura ya pili inaweka sababu za kuwepo kwa sera mpya na madhumuni maalumu, Sura ya tatu ndio yenye matamko ya msingi ya kisera (fundamental policy issues) ikiwemo masuala ya miundombinu ya gesi kwa ajili ya soko la ndani, usimamizi wa mapato yatokanayo na gesi asilia na masuala ya ‘’ local content’’. Sura hii pia imezungumzia masuala ya uwazi na uwajibikaji. Sura ya nne ni masuala ya mfumo wa kisheria na udhibiti na sura ya tano ni taasisi za usimamizi wa sera ya gesi asilia. Sura ya sita ni hitimisho. Kila sura imeweka matamko ya kisera.
3). Rasimu ya sera imeshindwa kutofautisha suala la Mafuta na Gesi kuwa ni suala la Muungano au sio suala la muungano katika muktadha wa Katiba mpya inayojadiliwa sasa. Hii inadhihirisha umuhimu wa kuwianisha mchakato wa katiba na michakato mingine inayoendelea nchini. Hivi sasa Zanzibar inajiandaa kuwa na sera na sheria yao ya mafuta ya gesi, iweje sera hii itamke gesi asilia ni mali ya Jamhuri ya Muungano wakati upande mmoja wa Muungano utakuwa unafaidi utajiri wake peke yake? Rasimu ya sera imeshindwa kutambua kuwa kuna vitalu vya mafuta na gesi ya (vitalu namba 9-12) vimesimamisha shughuli kwa sababu Serikali ya Zanziabar haitambui mafuta na gesi kuwa suala la muungano. Rasimu inapaswa kuzingatia jambo hili kabla ya kupata sera yenyewe.
4). Rasimu imetamka katika ukurasa wa 9 kwamba sera hii haitambui shughuli za utafutaji (‘This policy document only covers mid-and downstream segments’ ndio nukuu ya neno kwa neon ya Sera hii). Hiki ni kichekesho cha milenia .
Taifa linawezaje kuandika sera ya gesi asilia kwa upande wa uchuuzi tu (biashara) na kuacha kazi yenyewe haswa ya utafutaji na uchimbaji (exploration and exploitation are upstream). Shughuli za utafutaji na uchimbaji ndio msingi haswa wa sera ya gesi asilia.
Mikataba yote huamuliwa kwa kuzingatia kwanza utafutaji, shughuli nyingine ni biashara tu ya kitakachogunduliwa . Rasimu kuacha kabisa eneo la utafutaji na uendelezaji (upstream) ni sawa na kutokuwa na sera kabisa.
Kwa namna eneo hili lilivyoachwa kuna harufu ya mkakati wa siri wa kuwanyima wananchi msimamo wa kisera kuhusu utajiri wao unavyonyonywa . Sentensi hii yenye maneno 10 katika uk. wa 9 wa kijitabu cha rasimu ya sera unaondoa kabisa umuhimu wa sera yenyewe wakati dhumuni kuu la sera linatamkwa uk.6 kwamba Gesi asilia ni mali ya wananchi wa ‘Jamhuri ya Muungano’ wa Tanzania’’ kurasa tatu baadaye zinaiondoa sera kwenye eneo hilo la umiliki wa mali hii ( Upstream). Tumeamua kuandika sera ya uchuuzi wa gesi asilia?
5). Rasimu katika 3.2.2(uk.24) imeweka matamko ya kisera kuhusu uwazi na uwajibikaji . Uwazi ndio eneo ambalo watanzania wengi walikuwa wanasubiri kwa hamu sana . Usiri wa mikataba katika sekta mbali mbali nchini ni chanzo cha ufisadi na uporaji wa utajiri wa mali yetu. Sera hii imeJibu swala hili? HAPANA. Sera haisemi ni namna gani mikataba itakuwa wazi kwa wananchi. Sera haisemi ni namna gani wananchi wataiwajibisha Serikali na vyombo vyake (Accountability) kwenye masuala ya mafuta na gesi. Sera imepiga porojo kuhusu uwazi na uwajibikaji. Bila misingi imara ya Uwazi na Uwajibikaji katika rasilimali ya gesi asilia, sera haina maana yoyote ile.
6). Serikali ni lazima ijue kwamba hivi sasa nchi yetu nchi tajiri yenye watu masikini.[i] sera ya gesi inapaswa kutuondoa kuwa nchi yenye laana ya rasilimali. Sera hii haina mwelekeo huo kabisa . Sera inapaswa kuwezesha wananchi kupata thamani ya maliasili yetu na kuwezesha matumizi mazuri ya mapato yatokanayo na utajiri wa nchi.
Sera yetu lazima ioneshe dhahiri kwamba gesi asilia ni mali ya wananchi na uendelezaji na unyonyaji wa rasilimali hii utafaidisha wananchi kwanza na kwa ruhusa yao (Prior informed Consent Principle) sera ni lazima itamke hilo kinagaubaga.Sera ni lazima ionyeshe kuwa katika ushindani wa soko makampuni ya mafuta na gesi asilia yatapata faida ya halali ( normal retuns) ya uwekezaji wao na kwamba lolote linalozidi litabakia kuwa mali ya wananchi wa Tanzania.
Mkakati wa makampuni ya mafuta na gesi asilia ni kuhakikisha taifa linapata kiduchu na wanasaidia serikali kutoa majibu ya kipato hicho kiduchu. Watanzania hawatakubali tena.
7). Ni lazima tuseme kuwa tunataka utajiri wetu uwe neema kwa wananchi wetu, na siyo laana. Maendeleo yetu yatategemea ni namna gani tunafaidika na utajiri wetu wa maliasili kama gesi asilia. Sera ya Gesi Asilia itujengee imani hiyo. Hii Sera (Rasimu) inapaswa iangaliwe upya na hasa maeneo ya uwazi na uwajibikaji.
Kabwe Z. Zitto, Mb Kigoma Kaskazini
Tabora, tarehe 18 Mei 2013
DRAFT 3-The Natural Gas Policy of Tanzania-2013
Draft 3- The Natural Gas Policy of Tanzania -2013to be presented to MPs tomorrow
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
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
Shadow Minister of Finance.
OFFSHORE ENERGYTODAY.COM
Zitto is MP for KIGOMA URBAN and PARTY LEADER of ACT WAZALENDO Party (@ACTWazalendo)
Zitto na Demokrasia 