Criticism of training spending contradicts calls for stronger regulatory capacity – EPA tells critics

…says increased training budget not evidence of waste

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has defended its reported expenditure of approximately $13.8 million on staff training and development, arguing that the investment is necessary to strengthen its capacity to regulate Guyana’s expanding economy, particularly the oil and gas sector.

In a statement issued in response to media reports questioning the expenditure, the agency rejected suggestions that its investment in human resource development was wasteful, describing the criticism as contradictory to longstanding calls for improvements in its regulatory capabilities.
The EPA pointed out that some of its critics have repeatedly questioned its ability to effectively regulate the oil and gas sector, often relying on assessments and perceptions dating back to 2018.
However, the agency argued that efforts to address those concerns through training and the development of technical expertise were now also being criticised.
According to the EPA, 144 employees participated in 77 training programmes in 2025, accounting for 418 training participations.
The programmes covered several areas relevant to the agency’s regulatory responsibilities, including environmental legislation, compliance inspections, environmental risk assessment, oil spill response, emergency planning, incident command, radiological environmental impact assessment, and public procurement.
The agency said these areas of training are directly connected to its responsibility to assess environmental impacts, manage risks, enforce compliance and respond to environmental emergencies.
It questioned the basis for describing the expenditure as unnecessary or wasteful, arguing that an increase in training costs alone does not establish that public funds were improperly spent.
The EPA also used the statement to clarify its position on development, maintaining that its mandate is not to prevent projects from proceeding but to ensure that they are properly assessed and subject to appropriate environmental safeguards.
It said development must be balanced with environmental protection, noting that projects should proceed only where significant environmental impacts and risks have been identified and can be adequately managed.
“Environmental regulation is not about automatically saying yes or no to development. It is about making sound, science-based decisions that protect the environment while enabling responsible development,” the agency stated.
The EPA further argued that environmental regulators must continuously update their knowledge and adopt new technologies to keep pace with changes in industrial development and environmental monitoring.
It pointed to advances in artificial intelligence, satellite-based monitoring and other technologies as reasons institutions must continue investing in their technical capabilities.
According to the agency, institutional resilience is built through continuous learning, investment, innovation and improvement, rather than relying on assessments of its capabilities made years ago.
It maintained that an assessment from 2018 should not be treated as a permanent measure of the institution’s current capacity, particularly given changes in Guyana’s economy and the technologies available to environmental regulators.
The EPA acknowledged that strengthening its regulatory capacity remains an ongoing process and said it would continue investing in its employees, technology, scientific expertise, and institutional systems.
While welcoming criticism, the agency said such assessments should be grounded in facts, evidence and an understanding of environmental governance.
It maintained that the investment in staff development is intended to ensure that Guyana’s development is properly assessed, responsibly managed, and subject to effective environmental safeguards.