Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat says Guyanese oil and gas workers with comparable qualifications, certification, training, and experience to expatriates should receive comparable pay.
Bharrat made the statement on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, during the handover ceremony for Letters of Approval for Local Content Plans at Roraima Duke Lodge, Kingston, Georgetown. The issue has been discussed at the policy level as Guyana’s petroleum sector moves into a more mature stage of local participation, according to Bharrat.
The government believes the time has come to advocate more strongly for Guyanese workers who meet comparable standards to expatriates in similar roles.
“We believe that at this point…it is the right time. Five years after, it is the right time for us to start advocating more strongly for this to ensure that Guyanese that are employed with comparable qualifications, comparable training, comparable certification, and also now experience, that they too can have a comparable remuneration to expat workers with similar background,” he said.
The comments place worker pay among the next issues likely to shape Guyana’s local content agenda. The country has moved from having no prior oil and gas experience to building a workforce of almost 7,000 Guyanese trained, certified, qualified, and employed in various positions across the industry.
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Guyana passed the Local Content Act in December 2021. The Local Content Secretariat began operating in January 2022 to help implement the framework and monitor local participation in the petroleum sector.
The employment numbers reflect the results the government wanted when it moved to formalize local content requirements. The Minister’s comments shift attention from the number of Guyanese entering the sector to the value of their participation, including whether qualified local workers are being compensated in line with their skills and experience.
