Eacop opens Escrow for missing beneficiaries

Dar es Salaam. The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop) project has reached a significant milestone, achieving 98 percent completion of compensation payments for affected households.

This announcement was made during a meeting with media editors on Thursday, December 21, 2023.

Abass Abraham, Eacop's external communications lead, shared that while the vast majority have received their compensation, there are still 2 percent of beneficiaries facing unique situations.

Some individuals initially registered but became unavailable during the payment phase, while others are entangled in family disputes that have temporarily halted their payments.

To address these exceptional cases, Eacop has announced the establishment of an escrow account. This will ensure that funds remain accessible for individuals who are currently unavailable or until their family disputes are resolved internally.

"We are actively searching for those who are unavailable, primarily through community radio announcements," explained Mr Abraham.

"The escrow account serves as a safety net, ensuring their rightful compensation is preserved until they are found or their issues are settled."

Furthermore, the project is making significant progress on construction materials. Pipes sufficient for 100 kilometers of the pipeline have already arrived in Dar es Salaam and are being transported to Tabora for coating. These pipes will then be distributed to the 16 construction camps across both Uganda and Tanzania.

Eacop is a critical infrastructure project spanning 1,443 kilometers, transporting crude oil from Lake Albert in Uganda to the Tanzanian port of Chongoleani. The pipeline comprises 296 kilometers (20 percent) in Uganda and 1,147 kilometers (80 percent) in Tanzania.

With compensation nearing completion and construction materials arriving, Eacop is steadily advancing towards its goal of bringing significant economic benefits to both Uganda and Tanzania.