At the recent Local Content Forum, stakeholders from Trinidad and Tobago’s energy sector rallied behind a pivotal idea: establishing a standardized pre-qualification system. Dr. Thackwray ‘Dax’ Driver highlighted the overwhelming support this proposal garnered across the supply chain in a recent piece published on November 24.
The crux of the Forum’s discussions revolved around devising a strategy to implement this uniform system effectively. With the country’s oil, gas, and petrochemical sector under pressure to optimize efficiency and reduce costs, the need for a cohesive pre-qualification approach gained prominence.
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Amidst the ongoing energy transition and the discerning capital allocation by international energy giants, Trinidad and Tobago recognizes the urgency to streamline operations. Dr. Driver emphasized the importance of focusing on efficiency and simplifying business processes to remain competitive.
Addressing inefficiencies within state agencies was underscored as a key aspect of a broader 6-point plan to fortify the industry’s future. While expediting approvals and cutting bureaucratic hurdles remain crucial, internal industry enhancements, particularly standardization, emerged as pivotal.
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The emphasis of the envisaged system revolves around slashing administrative burdens, time, and costs associated with pre-qualification processes industry-wide. Leveraging the existing Safe to Work (STOW) database was highlighted as a foundation for this initiative. Dr. Driver noted that much of the requisite data for a pre-qualification system is already encapsulated within this mature system.
Drawing lessons from the Office of Procurement Regulation (OPR) registration system, the industry aims for a level of integration to encompass state companies within this unified pre-qualification framework. Ensuring participation from key entities like Heritage and the NGC group is deemed crucial, given their significance as major customers for energy service companies, he wrote.
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While acknowledging challenges related to data security and transparency, Dr. Driver expressed confidence in overcoming these technical hurdles with dedicated teams and robust processes. However, the larger challenge, in his view, lies in steering the human side of this transformation. Convincing procurement professionals and industry leaders of the benefits—simplified processes, a fair playing field, and reduced duplicity—will be pivotal in driving this change.
