As an emerging oil and gas producing nation, Guyana must look to employ the ‘best’ at the top level of institutions that would be tasked with regulating the sector. So says Carlos de Regules, the founding Director of Mexico’s Agency for Security, Energy and the Environment (ASEA).
In a recent interview he said the move by the Guyana government to fill positions at two key agencies is a step in the right direction. “I think Guyana has taken very important initial steps in appointing Dr. Mark Bynoe as the Head of the Department of Energy and Dr. Vincent Adams as the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency. Those are two key pieces of the puzzle if you have the right leadership and the right experience in place that is the main ingredient,” he said.
This coupled with developing a clear vision for the sector are important drivers of sustainability, transparency, and accountability, the ASEA Director pointed out.
“Taking the time to develop a clear vision on what you want as a regulatory framework is important. Think about what you want in the long run. You really need to dedicate some time to think about this and plan for this and then success will come,” he stated.
Pointing to the importance of putting systems in place in a timely manner, as first oil fast approaches, Regules said, “You need to be quick but prudent. I think we shouldn’t try to rush things, we should try to do things in an efficient manner and in a quick manner and in order to do that, having a clear vision will be very important.”
To this end, he commended the Guyana Government for the development of the Green State Development Strategy, which is meant to be a national development plan, providing long-term vision and guidance for Guyana’s economic, social and environmental development. It also takes into consideration oil and gas development.
