MD and CEO of Total South Africa Philip Jordan has been elected as the chairperson of the South African Petroleum Industry Association (Sapia) for 2005, the association said in a statement on Tuesday.
Jordan succeeds Simphiwe Mehlomakulu, a general manager at PetroSA, and is the 11th oil company chief to chair the industry association since its establishment in July 1994.
Advocate Rams Ramashia, chairperson of BP Southern Africa, is the new Sapia vice-chairperson.
Jordan noted that black economic empowerment is very important to the industry, particularly the attaining of human resource development and procurement targets in the industry charter — which, he pointed out, was the very first charter of its kind in South Africa when it was signed in 2000.
The effect of new legislation on the petroleum industry, most especially the Pipelines Act and the Petroleum Products Amendment Act, are also important developments for the sector, Jordan said.
Another impending development for the sector is the introduction on January 1 2006 of more environmentally friendly products that will see the phasing out of leaded petrol and the lowering of the level of sulphur in diesel, he added. — I-Net Bridge