Pres Ali to deliver keynote address at 2024 Local Content Summit

President Dr Irfaan Ali will deliver the keynote address at the second Local Content Summit, slated for the Pegasus Suite and Corporate Centre in Kingston, Georgetown on April 16, 2024.
The event is being hosted by MBW Energy Support Services Inc (MBWESSI) and Prestige Management Consultants (PMC), in partnership with the Local Content Secretariat through the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Themed “Creating Value, Driving Economic Expansion”, the summit is geared towards knowledge sharing, for local businesses in Guyana to understand the benefits of becoming Local Content-certified, and how to identify and capitalize on available and upcoming opportunities.

MBWESSI and PMC are focused on ensuring that the Summit agenda is local content-centred, with a mixture of both panel discussions and featured presentations. The Summit aims to discuss the current Local Content Policy and certification process; local content for the oil and gas sector as a driver for economic expansion; the role of local content in the supply and value chain; joint venture both local and international; and bridging the capacity gap.
The summit aims to bring together policymakers, regulatory and support agencies and organizations, educators, operators and sub-contractors, industry experts, vendors/suppliers, investors, and the local private sector, among other stakeholders.
The Ministry of Natural Resources has fully endorsed this event, and has noted that “the Ministry, via its Local Content Secretariat, recognizes the vital importance of a conducive environment for local participation and development within Guyana’s petroleum sector. Further, as the unit legislatively empowered to monitor, implement and enforce local content in Guyana, its promotion not only drives economic growth but also contributes significantly to sustainable expansion for local suppliers and the upskilling of Guyanese talent”.

The organizers of the summit are honoured to have leaders and business owners confirmed to speak, noting that it is so important to have speakers who understand the need, who relate to the sector(s), and who are directly involved in the road ahead.
The Summit’s opening plenary will include President Ali as the keynote speaker; Minister Vickram Bharrat as the featured speaker; CEO of the Local Content Secretariat, Martin Pertab; and Minister Deodat Indar, as well as CEO of MBW Energy Support Services Inc., Abbigale Loncke-Watson; and Anita Ramprasad of Prestige Management Consultants.
Additional speakers include Phillip Rietema of ExxonMobil; Cassandra Jaikarran of Ocean Air Logistics; Sharlene Seegolam of SLB; Martin Cheong of SBM Offshore; Renatha Khan-Bovell of Nobel Corporation; Dr. Natasha Gaskin-Peters of CLBD; Donna Rickford of Supreme Laundromat; Khrishan Singh of GAICO, and Kester Hutson of GCCI.