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Message: [QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 52091, member: 636"] Uganda's petroleum sector faces significant challenges as local businesses struggle to compete for contracts despite regulatory support for joint ventures. The Petroleum Authority of Uganda addressed over 60 domestic suppliers during a workshop organized by COSL Uganda SMC Limited in Hoima. Officials emphasized that partnerships between Ugandan firms and international companies could bridge technical and financial gaps. Vivienne Nabbosa from PAU highlighted how joint ventures enable knowledge transfer while building local capacity. The National Content Regulations specifically encourage such collaborative arrangements to maximize domestic participation. COSL Uganda demonstrated substantial commitment by distributing contracts worth more than $93.9 million among 67 local companies through June 2025. General Manager Xia Yu announced plans to expand community enterprise participation during the second half of the year. The company has implemented training programs and internships to develop skilled workers within Uganda. TotalEnergies operates its Community Supplier Development Program across six districts near petroleum projects. Program coordinator Melidah Mirembe outlined training initiatives covering safety management and regulatory compliance. Research conducted between December 2023 and January 2024 revealed alarming registration deficiencies among community suppliers. The baseline assessment reached 1,325 enterprises and discovered that only 13 percent maintained proper business registration. Tax identification numbers existed for just 14 percent of companies while social security enrollment dropped to seven percent. National Supplier Database participation remained at three percent among surveyed businesses. Local hotel manager James Bukoya criticized contractors for demanding high standards while offering unattractive compensation rates. [/QUOTE]

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