Since 2006, Norway has supported Uganda through Norad’s “Oil for Development” initiative. In this cooperation, Uganda and Norway have focused on the establishment of competent institutions within the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, with capacity to handle the challenges in the exploration phase and early upstream phase.
As the programme expired last year (2009), it was replaced by a broader programme with a more holistic approach, which implies support to Ministry of Water and Environment as well as support to Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development, in addition to MEMD. The programme will build capacity within three pillars: Resource Management, Revenue Management and Environmental Management, and the partnership includes a number of Ugandan and Norwegian institutions within these three pillars.
The program emphasize Ugandan ownership, in line with the Accra Agenda for Action. The Norwegian role is that of an advisor. Norway aims to share our experiences and competence with Uganda. That experience has been built trough our own experience with developing a national petroleum sector. It is clear that the context for the development of the sector is quite distinct in the two countries.
The publishing of the program document, as well as the agreement, underlines Norway’s as well as Uganda’s intention to be as transparent and open as possible with regard to activities in the Oil and Gas industry.