Sasol funds rehabilitation of 35 km at EN1 in Inhambane province – Mozambique

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Sasol funds rehabilitation of 35 km at EN1 in Inhambane province – Mozambique

2:24 CAT | 10 Jul 2018

File photo: Notícias

The South African company Sasol will finance the repair of 35 kilometres of national road number 1( EN1) in Inhambane province, southern Mozambique, the company said in a statement distributed to the press.

This is a section from Pambara, in Vilankulo district, to Mangungumete, in the Inhassoro district of Inhambane, where the company has been exploring gas reserves for almost two decades.

Moments after the signing of the memorandum for the funding, Jon Harris, Sasol’s upstream Executive Vice President, cited in a statement that, “Sasol remains firm in its commitment to Mozambique and we understand the significant contribution that National Road Number One [EN1] gives to the economy and life of Mozambicans.”

The works, which are expected to be completed by the middle of next year, will be the responsibility of the National Highway Administration (ANE).

“Our partnership with ANE is a testament to our continued efforts to play our role in the contribution and development of Mozambique,” added Jon Harris.

In addition to exploring the gas reserves at Pande and Temane in Inhambane for nearly two decades, Sasol is one of three companies that won the fifth international hydrocarbons concession in Mozambique, in a list of consortia led by ENI, ExxonMobil and Deltonex Energy.

Data provided by Sasol indicates that the company has invested US$33 million in about 150 social projects, the programs benefit 500,000 people in three Mozambican provinces, most notably in the Inhambane province.

In October last year, a non-governmental organisation Public Integrity Centre (CIP) , published a study found that the South African company Sasol made Mozambique a “dairy cow”, contributing below the expectations of state coffers with the gas it extracts from the country.

The study is entitled “Sasol will continue to be enrich whilst the Mozambican state [will continue to be] the dairy cow”. It claims that the company did not pay the US$42 million in annual average revenue foreseen by the International Monetary Fund for its first ten years of operation in Mozambique.

Last week, Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Max Tonela announced that the Government had suspended a public tender launched by the oil company for the transportation of light oil, because the tender did not take into account the availability of companies in Mozambique with the capacity to supply this service

Sasol has denied that it is discriminating against Mozambican companies in tenders for its activities in the province of Inhambane, stating that it is committed to respecting the legislation.

Source: Lusa