With first oil expected in two years’ time, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) is looking to educate local businesses on the emerging sector so they can capitalise on the opportunities that will become available.
PSC President Eddie Boyer
To this end, the Commission has organised a one-day oil and gas symposium for Tuesday, March 6, 2018. The event, which will be held under the theme “Perspectives for the Local Private Sector” at the Duke Lodge in Kingston, Georgetown, will serve as a platform to enlighten local businesses on the emerging oil and gas industry.
Speaking with Guyana Times, President of PSC, Eddie Boyer, explained that following Government’s inaugural petroleum summit – GIPEX – which had scores of local and foreign investors attending to explore local investment opportunities, the Commission recognised the need for such an event.
“We wanted to put on something that would bring the local Private Sector more in understanding of the oil and gas industry and so we tailored this symposium to address the local content and the participation of our local businesses,” he stated.
Boyer believes it is imperative that local businesses are in tune with and understand the emerging oil and gas industry so that they can be able to benefit from it.
“We see this industry as one where Guyanese have to participate in. We’re looking at this industry being around for a while and then you think about our future generations having the benefits of what we need to do as students start to make careers in this industry. So we feel that as we get closer to 2020 and knowing about the industry, there will be lots more of these conferences and seminars and we urge people to come out and support so they can have a better understanding of the industry especially as it relates to local businesses,” he noted.
The whole-day symposium will address a number of issues and will see presentations done by experts in the field. Canadian expert consultant on oil and gas, Cuneyt Tirmandi, will deliver the feature presentation on “Oil and Gas in Guyana – Perspectives for the Local Private Sector”.
Tirmandi has extensive experience in the oil and gas sector, having worked in all of the various facets of the industry as a consultant/advisor; as such, he is able to analyse how the local Private Sector can insert itself in the emerging industry.
Presentations will also be done by ExxonMobil’s Senior Director of Public and Government Affairs, Kimberly Brassington; Environment Expert Annette Arjoon-Martins; Centre for Local Business Development; and the Natural Resources Ministry on the framework for the oil and gas industry in Guyana.
The event will be opened with remarks from the PSC President, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Country Representative Sophie Makonnen and Business Minister Dominic Gaskin.
The symposium will wrap up with a panel discussion featuring representatives from the PSC, Guyana Manufacturers and Service Association (GMSA), Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC), Guyana Oil and Gas Association (GOGA) and Tourism and Hospital Association of Guyana (THAG).
Registration begins at 08:00h and the event kicks off at 09:00h. The participation fee is set at just $10,000 and spots are limited so interested persons are required to register with the PSC by Monday.
