General Electric (GE) has held a supplier fair targeted at increasing the number of Ghanaian suppliers that support its Oil and Gas business in the country.

The two-day event which was held in Accra afforded the technology and infrastructure leaders to interact with stakeholders in Ghana’s Oil and Gas sector and work out a mutually beneficial relationship.

GE’s Ghana Oil and Gas Leader, Kwabena Aforo-Addo, said the move is in keeping with GE commitment to localise its operations in Ghana – giving indigenous Ghanaian companies an opportunity to build adequate technical and human capacity.

In engaging the local suppliers, periodic certification of compliance, routine audit and inspection, termination rights and close monitoring of suppliers’ activities as well as feedback on concerns will be vigorously pursued.  “This is in keeping with GE’s time-honoured reputation as a credible, quality-assured player in the oil and gas sector,” Aforo-Addo said.

The event also witnessed presentations from GE leaders in areas such as, expectations of Suppliers, Standards, Services Required, GE’s capabilities and expertise in Africa, among others. GE made it clear that its bidding processes will be open, fair and transparent, bereft of discrimination, open to and competitive for all qualified suppliers, objective in the selection criteria while adhering to the company’s gifts and gravity policies and procedures with a zero tolerance for conflict of interest.

The company, will, over the next four years, invest heavily in developing talents across Africa especially along its existing career programs such as Early Career Development Program, Apprentice programs, Technical programs and Leadership programmes among others.

GE’s existing projects include, the Ghana 1000 power project, GE Healthcare’s partnership with the Ministry of Health with the use of V-scans and the supply of MRIs and X-ray equipment to the Komfo Anokye Teaching hospital. GE also has respective partnerships on capacity building in the Oil and Gas space with institutions like the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ashesi University and the University of Mines and Technology, as well as the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation.