New oil and gas training centre to open avenues for locals

A new oil and gas training centre, which is expected to create new opportunities for locals, was today commissioned by Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat MP and Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar MP.

The centre, located in Middle Street, Georgetown is an initiative of the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC); a private sector umbrella organisation formed in 2017 to advance local participation in Guyana’s oil sector.

Minister Bharrat said the centre is needed, as Government and the private sector cooperate to carve out opportunities for local businesses and workers, where possible.

“Let me congratulate GOGEC, [President] Mr. Manniram Prashad, his executive members and membership of GOGEC on the opening or the establishing of a training centre,” Minister Bharrat said.

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat MP

Minister Indar wished the Chamber well, encouraging it to expand its operations.

“Just as the country will grow, and new private sector participants enter into Guyana, the umbrella organisation for oil and gas will grow.”

The Minister also encouraged the Chamber and the wider private sector to conduct their own oil industry needs assessments, to determine where gaps exist for locals to fill.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar MP

Senior Petroleum Coordinator at the Ministry of Natural Resources, Bobby Gossai Jr. delivered an extensive presentation on the Government’s work and vision for local content.

He said the driver of local content has to be the private sector. On the Government’s end, Gossai said the local content policy is being finalised, and that legislation is also being crafted.

“But those are just two key instruments which will drive the process. We are also working on an implementation plan for local content. We are working on the monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure that systems like this that we have here, where companies are coming in to the country and they are working, [that] they are also contributing towards the growth of the economy,” he said.

Senior Petroleum Coordinator, Ministry of Natural Resources, Bobby Gossai Jr.

Prashad said the GOGEC’s membership has already exceeded 60. He said the Government has done well to involve GOGEC in numerous engagements to keep it abreast with developments in the industry. He advocated for more representation for the Chamber in the future.

Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Office for Investment, Dr. Peter Ramsaroop also attended the launch.