Ato Van-Ess, STCCI
The Sekondi-Takoradi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (STCCI) has partnered MODEC Ghana, which specializes in Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels, to set up a Health and Safety Centre to offer courses to contractors and subcontractors in the oil and gas industry.
According to the STCCI, the Health, Safety, Environment and Quality Learning Centre would ultimately fulfils Ghana’s dream of achieving global health and safety standards in the industry.
Ato Van-Ess, Chairman of the STCCI, who disclosed this at the 2nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the STTCI in Takorad, mentioned that the project would transform young Ghanaian graduates into health, safety, environment and quality advisors or coaches in the oil and gas industry.
“This, when achieved, will help local businesses to meet the health and safety requirement by multinational companies in the extractive sector and increase the access of local SMEs to business opportunities in these sectors,” he added.
He mentioned that occupational health and safety compliance is now a global requirement for the extractive industry.
Mr Ato Van-Ess noted that STCCI has also come up with the annual Ghana Extractive Industry Safety Conference (GEISCon) to provide the platform for networking between policy-makers, global experts, industry players and local SMEs among others.
He added that “the Chamber represents the interest of both businesses and the general public.”
“This is exemplified in the nature of projects and services that the STCCI implements. Aside the usual business development services that the Chamber renders to businesses, STCCI’s projects are designed to benefit the general public as well,” he added.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi