The Guyana government is looking to embark on a wide-ranging coast-to-coast oil and gas outreach awareness programme in 2018 that will also include visits to Guyanese living in the diaspora.
Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, during a recent interview said his ministry is using multiple channels available to get the message of oil and gas across to every Guyanese but there is still some room for improvement.
The outreach programme will see teams “visiting Guyanese in the diaspora, visiting Guyanese in every region and in as many villages and communities as possible,” he pointed out.
Members of the public, private sector groups, civil society and other stakeholders have criticised the Guyana government for not providing adequate information on the country’s preparation for oil and gas.
Public calls on government, oil companies to provide more information about industry in Guyana
Mr. Trotman said government will continue to intensify its efforts to ensure mechanisms are in place both for the sharing of information, and overseeing the many interventions that are underway in preparation for first oil. “As you know, His Excellency (President David Granger) has established a subcommittee, which we call the Quintet; Ministries of the Presidency, Finance, Business, Natural Resources, Public Infrastructure and the Presidential Advisor – so it is a full core,” he pointed out.
He said in order to create a sector that is sustainable, transparent and accountable, it requires a holistic approach. To this end, he added that, “Here at the Ministry of Natural Resources, we are working to get us to first oil in 2020 and there is a lot of work but at the Ministry of Business they have to look at things like local content, including more Guyanese in the sector. Ministry of Finance is working to ensure that the Sovereign Wealth Fund is in place by 2020, working to ensure that regulations are in place,” he said.
As 2020 draws closer, Mr. Trotman said the natural resources ministry will be increasing its level of partnership to better serve the Guyanese people.
