Over 3,000 Ghanaians are expected to be permanently employed and accommodated by a US-based company that plans to establish an oil refinery in the country. The company, Barclays Gerdi Group Incorporated (BGG), is currently holding talks with government agencies to facilitate a smooth take-off of the $1.7 billion project. Mr Hamid Moomen, local representative of the group, told the GNA on Monday in an interview that 4,000 local and foreign workers would be employed temporarily by the company during the construction stage. He said the refinery was expected to refine 100,000 barrels of crude oil a day, almost twice of what the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) produced presently. According to him, the company would also establish a $350 million cement plant to process 50,000 tonnes of white cement a day, while the country’s railway sector would also benefit due to the plans of BGG to construct modern railway lines to carry its products. He explained that the BGG would generate electricity for the refinery’s operations out of which the excess electricity generated would be fed into the national grid. Mr Moomen said that the company would begin construction works before the end of the year immediately it received permit from the appropriate authorities to operate in the country. “The minimal design and construction time period would be four years after all arrangements have been finalized,” he added. He further explained that the company would acquire a 6,000-hectare land, preferably in Takoradi and Prampram, for the establishment of the refinery and the cement plant. Mr Moomen, who is also Chairman of Moomen Group in the USA, said the BGG had planned to set up a collage of technology to train employees locally in refinery operations. He said facilities to be provided included a modern satellite city fitted with potable water and sewage systems, shopping malls, schools, a clinic, pharmaceutical shops and supermarkets. Fire fighting stations, banks, playgrounds, parks fuel filling stations, a library, cinemas and other needed facilities would also be provided for the comfort of employees. He was particularly grateful to the Chief of Staff, Mr Kwadwo Mpiani, who he said, had been very instrumental in assisting the company to invest in the country. BGG, which operates in Gabon, Angola, Algeria and Tunisia, has to its credit the installation of water, sewer gas and oil pipelines, the construction and development of cement plants, satellites cities, roads, shopping malls, oil refineries and the distribution of security equipment.Source: GNA