Payara creating multitude of opportunities for Guyana

Dear Editor,
The past six months of delays and political uncertainty almost halted Guyana’s opportunity to become one of the biggest oil producers in the Caribbean before it even began. But, last week, the Irfaan Ali Government finally approved the Payara project.
The approval brings Guyana one step closer to a better future in terms of development, new jobs, higher incomes, and a diversified economy.
More importantly, the thousands of Guyanese employed in the industry and the dozens of companies that have eagerly joined the thriving industry servicing the projects can breathe a collective sigh of relief. Millions of dollars and thousands of hours of training have been invested to build up the capacity needed for Guyanese to take part in their own oil industry.
Many local companies are already well integrated into Guyana’s burgeoning oil and gas sector, from the MatPal Marine Institute and Strategic Recruitment Solutions, which train and place technicians on offshore platforms, to Arrow Oilfield Services and Panthera Solutions, which provide scaffolding and construction services for offshore rigs.
Thousands of Guyanese are already employed by domestic and international companies working in the sector.
The wealth that will come from Payara and its successors could allow the Government to strengthen and diversify our economy—increasing access to education, healthcare, and other social programmes through an expanded budget.
Investment in infrastructural projects has the power to foster better trade relationships with Brazil and Suriname, and create new opportunities for Guyanese business to thrive here at home.
All that development, however, depends on a steady stream of new projects like Payara. It would have been a tragic error to halt that development and put those investments to waste just as they were beginning to bear fruit. I applaud the Irfaan Ali Government for taking a step in the right direction.

Sincerely,
Donald Singh