Uganda Unveils First Oil and Gas National Supplier Database

The Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) has successfully verified and registered 381 companies/entities/persons that can provide goods and services to the industry players as required by the Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) Regulation, 2016 and Regulation 30 of the Petroleum (Refining, Conversion, Transmission and Midstream Storage) (National Content) Regulations 2016. These Regulations mandate the PAU to put in place and publicize a database of companies/entities/persons qualified to supply goods and services in the country’s oil and gas sector.

The 381 registered suppliers are among 774 applications which were received by the deadline for 2017 which was 15th May, 2017 as advertised in the New Vision newspapers of 28th December, 2016 and 24th April, 2017 respectively and in the Daily Monitor of 24th April, 2017.

Out of the total applications 501 were local companies while the remainders were international representing 32 countries. Those from Africa include companies from: Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Namibia, Mauritius and South Africa. Others were from Turkey, Singapore, Hong Kong, Russia, Oman, UAE, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Mexico, UK, Australia, USA, Barbados, India, France, China, Italy, Romania, Canada, Uruguay and Norway.

Among qualifications needed from the applicants included: proof of ownership, proof of registration, physical address, nature of goods and services and tax and NSSF compliance.

The National Suppliers’ Database (NSD) is being developed as an online web based platform for regulating the procurement of goods and services in the oil and gas sector and will be updated annually.

The Authority will subsequently automate the development of the database by making submissions and responses digital. The database will then be developed to support the putting in place of a Joint Qualification Systems and an E-market for the procurement of goods and services in the country’s oil and gas sector.

The NSD will provide an opportunity for a transparent and standardized procurement cycle which will in turn lead to increased competition and efficiency in the supply chain. It is also going to be a very strong tool for encouraging national participation in the country’s oil and gas sector and enhancing visibility of the Ugandan companies which have the potential to offer goods and services in the oil and gas sector whether individually or in joint partnership.

The supplier database is required to be published annually and the database announced in July is for the year 2017. The Authority says it plans to publish the database for the year 2018 by the end of December, 2017 so as to enable its full use during 2018. The adverts for application for qualification to the 2018 database will be put out on 1st September, 2017 so that the processes of application, verification and evaluation are completed well before the end of 2017.

The supplier database is expected to enable local companies play a role in the development phase of the country’s oil industry which will see the construction of a oil pipeline, a refinery as well as development of oil fields in the Albertine basin.