European Travel Bans are counter-productive and hurting the Oil & Gas Sector’s ability to support Africa’s Economic Recovery
Restrictions of visa issuance are de facto preventing a lot of projects to move forward and to successfully contribute to the recovery of the continent
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, July 2, 2020/ -- The continuation of travel restrictions
and suspension of visas and travel between Africa and Europe is heavily
restraining the oil & gas industry’s recovery efforts. Because of
its international nature, the oil & gas sector relies on global
value-chains and successful cooperation and movement of people, goods
and services between foreign and local contractors. The ongoing travel
bans and restrictions of visa issuance are de facto preventing a lot of
projects to move forward and to successfully contribute to the recovery
of the continent.
Major international oil companies such as
Total, BP, Shell, Eni, ExxonMobil, Chevron or Equinor and independents
such as Kosmos Energy, BW Energy, Maurel & Prom or Tullow Oil that
operate a major share of Africa’s daily oil and gas production are
currently unable to operate fully and safely because of such travel
restrictions. Similarly, they directly impact the operations of the
major international services and EPC companies supposed to work on major projects, such as Saipem, TechnipFMC, Schlumberger or Halliburton.
“We cannot base our recovery narrative and hopes on the oil & gas
sector and at the same time forbid the movement and travel of the
workers and employees supposed to make that recovery happen,” declared
Nj Ayuk, Executive Chairman at the African Energy Chamber. “We are
urgently calling for pragmatism and the adoption of realistic measures
that put workers’ safety and economic recovery at the center of public
and travel policies priorities,” he added.
From West to Southern
Africa, landmark energy projects worth billions of dollars have been
delayed because of the ongoing pandemic of Covid-19 and its subsequent
lockdowns and travel restrictions. However, and as economies gradually
reopen, a new wave of travel restrictions, especially on the issuance of visas between Europe and Africa, is adding up to the list of challenges the industry faces to play its key role in the continent’s economic
recovery. Such restrictions are threatening the efficient operations of
global value-chains whose functioning is critical to enable Africa’s
energy projects to move forward.
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