Government should award some of the contracts in the oil and gas sector to local enterprises in order to promote the growth of the local industries, the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) has said.

Nana Owusu-Afari, President of the AGI, said the subject of local involvement in the oil and gas sector continued to be a very serious issue that government cannot ignore.

The AGI President said this when the National Executives of the Association toured some institutions and companies such as the Western Regional House of Chiefs, the Metropolitan Assembly, PLOTS Ghana Enterprise, GHACEM and Flour Mills as part of their National Council Retreat in the Western Region.

The National Council Retreat, adopted by the AGI some five years ago, enables the leadership of the AGI to take stock and also re-strategise to grow local industries and the economy as a whole.

Nana Owusu-Afari added that the local content policy required that all regulatory authorities, contractors and any entities involved in any project and transaction in the Ghanaian oil and gas sector to consider it as important to introduce local elements in project development and management.

The AGI President, however, was unhappy with the indiscriminate sale of lands by traditional authorities to foreign entities and businesses.

He said the land could be used as equity in contracts saying, “Your parcels of lands are assets and must not be disposed off just like that”. Nana Owusu-Afari said: “Land acquisition for offices remains one of the setbacks to emerging businesses”.

The AGI president also bemoaned the terrible road network within the metropolis adding that “the discovery of oil and gas must really improve the lifestyle and the economic fortunes of the people”.