PRESIDENT OF the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), Mr. Peter Moses, recently announced the formation of the Energy Committee. This Committee comprises the heads of the petroleum and LPG marketing companies in Jamaica. Its prime objectives are:
Participate with the Government of Jamaica in the development and advancement of programmes designed to improve service, quality and the environment which contribute to the betterment of the industry's growth.
Stimulate harmonious relations between the industry and the Jamaican government in order to provide the best products/service to the Jamaican consumer.
Conduct the affairs of the Committee considering not only the interest of the companies but also the community at large.
Contributors
The oil and gas industry is one of the largest contributors to the government in the form of taxes and duties paid and it is a large investor in new facilities, information technology and staff development, the PSOJ said. The members of the Committee include Cool Oasis, Epping, Esso, IGL, Jampet, National, Shell, Texaco, Unipet, Petcom and Petrojam.
The PSOJ Energy Committee will promote better operational and safety practices especially in service stations, road transport of petroleum products and the handling and supply of gas. It will provide information to stakeholders, such as Government, consumer and environment groups. The first chairman of the new Energy Committee, Nicholas Shorthose of Shell, said "the oil and gas marketers fuel the Jamaican economy and provide cooking gas for the hospitality sector and homes. We want to do this in an economic, environmentally friendly and, above all, a safer manner. The PSOJ Energy Committee is a way in which we can raise the standards of the whole industry."
Mrs. Norma Russell of Jampet, who is the secretary of the Committee, stressed that "the contribution that the marketers make to Jamaica, with their investment in staff training and development, is very significant."
