Accra, June 10, GNA- Mr Emmanuel Buah, Deputy Minister of Energy on Friday said the objective of maximising benefits in the production and utilisation of Ghana's oil and gas resources was a paramount policy to Government.

To achieve this end, he said the Ministry had facilitated the development of local content and local participation policy to ensure that Ghanaians participated effectively in the industry.

Mr Buah said the policy was currently being translated into legislations which would soon be laid before parliament.

He noted that the Petroleum Commission Bill recently passed by Parliament made specific provisions for the establishment of a local content committee as part of the proposed commission to implement local content and local participation programme in the sector.

He indicated that the ministry with the support from the World Bank was implementing capacity building in the oil and gas sector with Kikam Technical Institute, Takoradi Polytechnic and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

He disclosed that cabinet had approved the establishment of an Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) office to be sited in the Western Region as the focal point for co-ordination between the oil and gas companies and SMEs to position themselves to take advantage of the business opportunities that the oil sector would offer.