AS Guyana prepares for its first oil production by the year 2020, the Government is “actively pursuing” the securing a Campaign Financing Legislative draft to manage the funding of upcoming political campaigns.

At a press conference hosted by the Alliance For Change (AFC) on Friday, it was highlighted that the increase in revenue the country will soon experience must be properly managed to avert exploitation.

Speaking on the matter, AFC Chairman and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan said that discussions have been held on such matters with the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Akbar Khan.
Ramjattan said that through these interactions, the government hopes to be guided by the

Commonwealth’s drafts. “We support Campaign Financing Legislation; we are going to tap into those resources to ensure that we come up with a Campaign Financing Legislation that is modern enough to take care of all the concerns,” he said.

Continuing on matters pertaining to the oil-and-gas sector, AFC Vice- Chairman and Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson reminded the media that the Natural Resource Fund Bill is soon to be passed in the National Assembly.

The Bill, which seeks to effectively manage the country’s natural resources wealth, will be tabled and hopefully passed before the end of the year.
“I am satisfied that in Cabinet, we would have had the full update on it,” Minister Patterson said, adding:
“There’s one outstanding issue before we send it to the big assembly, so it will be here and in place long before any oil is produced.”

Patterson then spoke on the topic of local content, stating that the obligation rests not on ExxonMobil to solicit Guyanese to fill available positions in the industry but for Guyanese to position themselves to benefit.

He made these remarks because of his own observation that many local companies are not applying to be a part of the oil and gas sector despite the fruitful opportunities which exist.
Elaborating further, he revealed that within the maritime sector he has personally gathered the documents of companies presenting them to ExxonMobil for employment.

In previous years, he met with a group of cruise ship company owners who hired over 100 local mariners who are now employed in the maritime industry across the world.
Patterson said that he is unaware of a company within the maritime sector which has been rejected having provided the necessary documents for application and cases of rejection are very rare.

“We have companies that are eligible here in Guyana but for some strange reason, don’t actually apply…maybe they feel they won’t get through [but] sometimes the onus is not only on Exxon, the onus is on us,” he said.
“It is all well and good to sit down and shout that it’s an overseas company, we must be able to say that we have a company that can do it or we have pathway to get a company that can do it,” he said.

Meanwhile AFC Executive Member and Minister of Public Telecommunication, Cathy Hughes recommended that to improve chances of being employed in the oil and gas sector, companies should band together.

“Quite often, one particular company may not have the capacity and I think one of the areas we’re not focusing on sufficiently in Guyana is how do two or three companies partner and collaborate so that they stand a better chance.
“Because it’s a competitive process, we don’t have a history in this industry and more and more local providers have to come together and create their own joint venture partnership,” she said.