Multi-stakeholder group established to ensure transparency in extractive sector

Another multi-stakeholder group (MSG) for the Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) has been created, primarily to continue oversight in the implementation of global standards and ensuring transparency in the extractive industry.
Nicholas Fredericks, Larry Carryl, Gomin Camacho and Vanda Radzik were appointed civil society representatives while the alternate appointees are Kerry-Ann Cort-Kansinally, Diane Khan, Mike McCormack, and Sharmaine Rambajue.
From the industry, the representatives are Jesus Bronchalo, Ryan Ramjit, Andron Alphonso, and Rafeek Khan; while the alternate appointees are Joachim Vogt, Norman McClean and Avalon Jagnandan.

Government appointees are Hema Khan, Vanelda Harris, Sonya Roopnauth, and Michael Monroe while the alternate members are Tarachand Balgobin, Sean Johnson, Martin Pertab and Sharook Hussain.
Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat said the group comprises representation from the mining, oil and gas, forestry and services sectors; and fulfils the manifesto commitment made by Government on the campaign trail to ensure accountability in the industry.
“We have the kind of people who have the qualities to ensure that the new MSG will be a successful one, will be one that will continue from the work that was started by the first MSG. For the first, it was a learning curve for them. It was new to us and it was introduced to Guyana because of the oil and gas sector and the importance of managing the oil and gas sector in a transparent manner. As a Government, we have in our manifesto that we’re committed to managing sector and the other extractive sectors in a transparent and accountable manner,” Bharrat stated.

He said the EITI International Secretariat would have offered to train the new MSG and he has accepted. Moving forward, he called for a full quorum at every meeting.
“My suggestion is that full members who have voting rights should be at all meetings and if members cannot attend the meeting for some reason or the other, that is why we have an alternate; so we don’t miss our quorum and the decisions are not held back. We can move forward as a body,” the Minister directed.
The Minister pointed out that the group would have to examine the recommendations from reports that were created and work towards implementation.
“We don’t want Guyana to be a country that is only preparing report to satisfy that criterion of the EITI but we’re preparing reports with recommendations and at some point, in time, we have to move to an implementation stage where we will implement some of those recommendations. Of course, with policy direction too.”