In her second term as President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce (GCCI), Kathy Smith plans to increase the number of Guyanese companies participating in the country’s thriving oil and gas industry through a focused approach.
Responding to questions posed by OilNOW following her re-election as GCCI President on March 24, Smith stated: “The Chamber’s objective is to increase the number of local companies that are participating in the sector’s supply chain through expanded capacity-building initiatives and partnerships that will provide business readiness and workforce development support.”
“Through a targeted approach, the GCCI will be pursuing programs to ensure that local companies attain the standards and certifications required by the sector,” she added.
The Chamber has long advocated for local content legislation and greater participation of local companies in Guyana’s oil industry. Smith indicated that her next term will center on expanding access to the sector’s supply chain through targeted support.
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Smith pointed to ongoing efforts to prepare businesses to engage operators and contractors.
“Over the last several years, the Chamber has hosted a number of webinars, training sessions and forums with key players in the industry that aimed at ensuring our members were familiarized with the opportunities emanating from the sector and the requirements to access them,” she explained.
“This allowed for businesses to have greater clarity on the steps they needed to take to align their operations with the needs of the industry and its strict requirements,” she noted.
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Looking ahead, Smith indicated that the Chamber’s priorities will remain aligned with its capacity-building objectives. “As indicated, the projects and pursuits of the Chamber are geared towards its strategic objectives in the area of capacity-building.”
She said, “Ultimately, the aim is to increase local participation in the sector, with advancement in the skills of our local workforce and the attainment of industry standards that allow for Guyanese companies to be both locally and internationally competitive.”
The GCCI is one of Guyana’s largest business support organisations and represents over 800 private sector companies.
