The Ministry of Trade and Investment has inaugurated? the Technical Committee for the 2012 Trade and Investment Forum on Oil and Gas Free Zone, Onne, Rivers.
Dr Samuel Ortom, the Minister of State for the ministry, who inaugurated the committee in Abuja on Friday, said that it was to foster the local content programme of the Federal Government.
He added that the committee was charged with the responsibility of organising a forum to project the potentialities of Onne Free Zone.
Orton said that the forum would provide useful opportunities for all stakeholders to form a partnership conducive for international business.
“It is therefore imperative to advance an efficient oil and gas centre which gives additional supply chain and logistics benefits”.
He called on the committee to organise a three-day trade and investment forum on oil and gas, moblise suitable stakeholders, local and foreign and moblise resource persons for the occasion.
Orton advised the committee to submit reports and relevant memos to the ministry to enhance the success of the forum.
“Onne Free Zone is structured and designed to address specific needs and requirements to the advantage of various corporate bodies in the oil and Gas industry”, Orton explained.
Responding, the chairman of the committee, Mr David Adejuwon, who is also the Director of Trade in the ministry, promised that the committee would justify the confidence reposed in it.
“The committee will actualise its mandate,” he said.
The committee, which has one month to submit its report, has representatives of the Customs, Immigration and Foreign Affairs as members while an Assistant Director, Trade Promotion, in the ministry; Mr Ahmed Ahmed is the secretary.
Free Trade Zones are free ports where goods may be landed, handled, manufactured or reconfigured and re-exported without the intervention of the Customs.?