NPRA ’08: US petchems must teach policymakers

29 March 2008 21:00  [Source: ICIS news]

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (ICIS news)--The US petrochemical industry needs to do a better job telling policymakers what it does and how it benefits the economy, according to National Petrochemical and Refiners Association (NPRA) president Charles Drevna.

“We’re entering the [US] political season and we need to make sure everyone understands how the wrong policies can destroy the industry,” he said prior to the International Petrochemical Conference (IPC) in San Antonio. The meeting runs from Sunday through Tuesday.

“We need to be getting our message out to all the political ideologies, and to some we haven’t spoken to in the past,” Drevna said. “It’s a long process, and it’s not going to happen overnight [but] we believe that when they come to vote, [policymakers] will choose what’s economically justified.”

“All the developed nations and the developing nations want to share in a [richer] lifestyle, and that involves a vibrant petrochemical industry,” he continued. “Our members and the international industry are the building blocks for that living style, health and benefits that everyone should share in.”

Hand in hand with the policy side of the conference, the business side of the meeting will be equally important to the delegates. With around 3,300 delegates already registered -  and the final figure likely to be higher - the turnout would be around the same level as in recent years.

“This is the largest conference of its kind in the world, and we want to make sure our conference brings together the best and the brightest in the industry,” Drevna said. “There are a lot of challenges and opportunities, and we’ll need to balance the two.”

By: Barbara Ortner
+44 20 8652 3214

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