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Promoting indigenous entrepreneurs in the upstream sector: policies and practices

NOT AN OFFICIAL UNCTAD RECORD. Promoting indigenous entrepreneurs in the upstream sector: policies and practices. Asian tiger. African elephant. Lamon Rutten Chief, Finance and Energy UNCTAD. 9 th African Oil&Gas Trade and Finance Conference Maputo, Mozambique, 31 May – 3 June 2005.

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Promoting indigenous entrepreneurs in the upstream sector: policies and practices

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  1. NOT AN OFFICIAL UNCTAD RECORD Promoting indigenous entrepreneurs in the upstream sector: policies and practices Asian tiger African elephant Lamon Rutten Chief, Finance and Energy UNCTAD 9th African Oil&Gas Trade and Finance Conference Maputo, Mozambique, 31 May – 3 June 2005

  2. Overview • Step 1: open up upstream opportunities • Step 2: create a proper legal and regulatory environment • Step 3: create proper financial environment • Conclusion

  3. Step 1: open up upstream opportunities Fact: small, nimble companies are better at getting oil or gas out of small or mature oil fields than are large companies. Fact: inside all large companies, there are highly competent staff who would be able to do a better job outside of the constricted environment of a large firm. These two facts form the basis for the creation of private sector local upstream entrepreneurs. National oil companies should not hold on to “marginal” fields, but sell them to the private sector Competent staff has to be empowered to set up their own upstream companies.

  4. Step 2: create a proper legal and regulatory environment Around the world, from developed countries, Asia and Latin America, entrepreneurs get a red carpet treatment…... ……while most African entrepreneurs face an obstacle course.

  5. In Africa, investors "face the most inhospitable climate in the world", and "the costs of doing business are horrendous, compared to the other parts of the world.” Michael Klein, Chief Economist, International Finance Corporation, at a Financial Times infrastructure finance conference in May 2004

  6. “It would be easier to do business on the moon than in some African countries” (a frustrated African investor, 2003)

  7. One element in a proper regulatory environment: allow international partnerships • It is against the interests of African upstream entrepreneurs as a group (although not necessarily against the interests of some of them) to keep foreign investors out. • Rather, African entrepreneurs should seek to bring investors in, by convincing their governments to create attractive policy environments, and by offering value-added partnership opportunities. This will allow them to: • improve management skills • benefit of transfer of technologies • improve market access

  8. Step 3: create proper financial environment • Three elements: • Empower banking sector to arrange reserve-based lending • Ensure legal and regulatory regime is suitable for accessing offshore funding • Stimulate venture and equity funds.

  9. History has shown that direct subsidies or direct finance provided by the government to the “private sector” is a bad idea. Finance (or subsidized sale) Government entrepreneur

  10. What is useful is for governments to put part of their windfall gains of high oil prices in specialized professionally managed investment funds instead of on savings accounts in western banks. Finance (or subsidized sale) Government entrepreneur Government Investment fund entrepreneur Finance Finance

  11. Conclusion: can an indigenous entrepreneur succeed in the upstream oil sector? Yes, if (s)he know where (s)he is going If (s)he is sufficiently determined If (s)he has learned how to avoid the obstacles And (s)he understands how best to make use of the available resources.

  12. One possible obstacle: a one-man shop does not make an enterprise “When most African countries became independent during the 1960s, joining the political class was more appealing and rewarding than going into the private sector. So highly educated Africans did not hesitate to go to where the money and the prestige were. It was only those who could not be part of the ruling class that had to make do with being entrepreneurs and capitalists… It’s no wonder that most African entrepreneurs lacked the understanding of what it would take to be successful entrepreneurs, lacking the necessary technical and management skills and the independence and confidence. They lacked consistent personal ambition and willingness to delegate authority for fear of sharing ownership, and failed to form partnerships to pool finance and managerial skills.” Basil Enwegbara, The African Entrepreneur,MIT-TECH, November 2002

  13. Beyond upstream entrepreneurs: towards creating African independents • The national oil company has to provide space • The government has to provide a proper legal and regulatory system • The financial sector has to be engaged • Businessmen need to be willing to cooperate • There may be no tigers in Africa, but there is room enough for many elephants.

  14. The road to success may be a slippery one…

  15. … but if you are properly prepared, you will get to your destination.

  16. Lamon.Rutten@unctad.org

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