By URN
The Petroleum Authority of Uganda -PAU has hit back at Human Rights Watch (HRW)over alleged human rights abuses in the development of oil and gas.
The Authority says the findings of the report released at the beginning of this week were based on falsehoods.
PAU is mandated with monitoring and regulation of the exploration, development, production, refining, gas conversion, transportation, and storage of petroleum in Uganda.
In a statement responding to a report titled “Our Trust is Broken: Loss of Land and Livelihoods for Oil Development in Uganda,” the Authority said the findings of the report are part of the false narrative about Uganda’s oil.
The Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs at the Petroleum Authority of Uganda, Ali Ssekatawa said the report is biased and follows the pattern of similar attempts to discredit Uganda’s petroleum program on grounds that are not based on available information or engagement with Ugandan institutions.
According to the Authority which foresees activities of the Joint Ventures Partners in King Fisher, Tilenga and EACOP projects, the balanced situation, which the report fails to give fair treatment, is that Uganda is working to build a one-of-a-kind oil and gas sector based on the highest standards of care and focused on creating lasting value for its people.”
Human Rights Watch in the report found that the rights of persons to be displaced by the oil and gas projects have been affected to the extent that they are in a worse-off situation than before.
