The Ministry of Natural Resources, through the Local Content Secretariat, is preparing to launch a new online portal for handling local content certification applications, marking a shift away from paper-based and fragmented submissions.
The portal is expected to go live in January 2026 and is part of the government’s broader push to digitize public services and improve how businesses interact with state agencies.
Speaking on a recent Energy Perspectives podcast episode, Michael Monroe, Director of the Local Content Secretariat, said the platform is being redesigned to guide applicants step by step through the process and ensure that only complete applications reach reviewers.
“We are recalibrating an online portal,” Monroe said. “Persons could at the tip of their fingertips log on to the portal, get registered, and input their information.”
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He explained that the system will automatically tailor requirements based on the structure of the applicant’s business, reducing confusion over what documents are needed.
“Depending on the type of business that you are, the portal will prompt you to the type of documentation that the Secretariat is looking for,” Monroe said.
A key feature of the portal is that applications will not be accepted for review unless all required documents are uploaded, a change aimed at cutting down back-and-forth communication and stalled reviews.
“Unless and until you submit that documentation the application would not be considered submitted,” Monroe said.
Monroe said the move responds to mounting pressure on the Secretariat as application numbers increase while reviews are handled by a small team. “There’s a voluminous amount of persons seeking certification and it’s still a core team that’s processing these applications,” he said.
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Once an application is fully submitted through the portal, fixed response timelines will apply, with processing periods varying by business type, including sole proprietorships, fully Guyanese-owned companies, and firms with foreign shareholding.
Monroe acknowledged that technical issues may arise during the rollout but said the portal is the foundation for wider digital reforms.
“The next wave of digitizing the process is seeing how we can let the companies now do their reporting obligations online,” he said.
He encouraged businesses planning to apply or renew certification to prepare their documents in advance and use the portal once it becomes available.
