More than 70% of the people from Yopal recognize the contribution of the oil industry to the development of the municipality

The National Consulting Center conducted a public opinion survey on the perceptions of the inhabitants of Yopal regarding the productive sectors present in the municipality and the oil and gas industry.

 The study reveals that, according to the respondents, the oil and gas industry is the one that contributes the most to the growth and trade of Yopal. Likewise, they recognize it as  the second sector that generates the most employment in the city

 However, citizens perceive that the hydrocarbon industry is the one that most affects the environment and the one that consumes the most water, despite also recognizing a lack of knowledge about the sector's operations.

Yopal, May 11, 2018. This morning, the National Consulting Center presented to the main media outlets in the capital of Casanare the results of the public opinion survey conducted in March of this year regarding the perceptions of Yopal's inhabitants about their city and the activities of the oil and gas sector in the municipality. Among the main results, it is identified that the majority of Yopal residents recognize that the hydrocarbon sector drives the economy and development of the country, the region, and the municipality.

According to the results of this study, the hydrocarbon industry is recognized by the respondents as the one that contributes the most to growth and the one that drives trade in Yopal the most. In terms of employment, after commerce, Yopal residents identify the hydrocarbon sector as the second with the highest generation of job offers.

Another of the most relevant findings is that 72 percent of respondents state that the oil industry brings development to Yopal, more than 65 percent believe that it is possible to carry out oil operations that are socially and environmentally responsible, and 62 percent opined that the industry benefits the communities where it carries out its operations.

On the other hand, the results show that what concerns the inhabitants of Yopal the most about the development of hydrocarbon activities is the impact of the sector on the environment. Specifically, 68 percent of respondents assert that the industry is the sector that most affects the environment above other sectors, and 36 percent believe that this is the industry that consumes the most water, despite identifying it among the three most regulated sectors in Yopal.

However, these perceptions contrast with other statements from the respondents. In general terms, 70 percent of Yopal residents acknowledge having little knowledge about the operations of the industry, the contributions made by the sector, the control of compliance with environmental regulations, and the general royalties system.

“These results indicate that there must be a greater effort on the part of companies and authorities to inform about the development of industry activities, as the little knowledge there is of the sector in a municipality with oil operations is striking,” said Ana García, director of the study center at the National Consulting Center.

For his part, the Executive President of the Colombian Petroleum Association (ACP), Francisco José Lloreda, stated that it is essential for the industry to understand the perception of the sector in a municipality with a marked hydrocarbon tradition, which is why the National Consulting Center was invited to conduct this perception survey to obtain reliable and objective data that would allow defining actions to strengthen relationships in the territory.

“For the ACP and our affiliated companies, it was of utmost importance to know the opinion of the inhabitants of Yopal about this industry, its benefits, its impacts, in short, the good and the bad. This will allow us to work on the issues that concern us the most and to make it clear that the contribution of this industry is based on creating conditions for growth and well-being in Yopal and Casanare, an objective to which all productive sectors, including the oil sector, must contribute,” concluded the union leader.