Mr Jonathan Mensah, Health, Safety, Environment and Quality Consultant, has called on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) doing businesses in the oil and gas industry to be abreast of details in international standards in executing jobs.

He said the oil and gas industry is a sophisticated area which calls for pragmatic standards and quality control measures for entrepreneurs to win and stay in business.

Mr Mensah told the Ghana News Agency that it is the only way, the local content law would become meaningful when SMEs that get contract adhere strictly to standards and do not compromise on quality, integrity and honesty in doing business with such multi-national oil and gas operators.

The Health, Safety, Environment and Quality consultant was training about 30 participants brought together from the supply chain in the oil and gas industry.

The USAID funded the Ghana Supply Chain Development Programme, helps SMEs to meaningfully engage in the oil and gas business.

Mr Mensah entreated the SMEs to be careful in their operations and follow the rightful procedures in maintaining quality and confidence adding: “Lowering standards will definitely affect your business”.

The training would enable the participants to become aware of the “ISO 9001:2008” on quality and standards.

Mr Mensah hinted that the building of some components of the second Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessel in Ghana was a clear indication that local companies, when fully resourced and given the capacity, could eventually engage in good businesses in the sector to boost the local economy.

Ms Marjorie Janczak, Training Manager at the Ghana Supply Chain Development Programme, said the training was designed to expose operators in SMEs to international laws on quality, auditing and matters that have the potential to add value to the organisational functioning of local businesses.

She said the participants would be taken through quality management systems, customer communication, reporting methodology, monitoring and control systems, measurement analysis and continuous improvement, documentation and internal auditing in relation to the ISO 9001 standards.