THE local custom brokers’ association is seeking an audience with the Ministry of Natural Resources in an effort to increase their members’ involvement in the upcoming oil and gas sector.

President of the Guyana Customs House Brokers Association (GCHBA), Sean Dublin, told the Guyana Chronicle that the local body was keen on meeting the relevant authorities on the specific matter of local content.

Dublin explained that the association was especially concerned that a foreign company had reportedly been able to establish itself here and was receiving contracts ahead of Guyanese, to provide the service to oil company, Exxon Mobil.
“It is our understanding that a company from Trinidad and Tobago has already set up a customs brokers company here and is getting contracts from Exxon,” Dublin said. He believes that Guyanese companies should be able to provide such a service ahead of an outside agency.

“That (contract) should have gone to Guyanese.” Dublin argued, stating that the service was available in Guyana, and where possible shortcomings exist in relation to the service needed by Exxon, the company should provide some training and assistance in that regard.
Given the association’s concerns about local content regarding the customs field, Dublin said a correspondence was addressed to Natural Resource Minister Raphael Trotman last week and the body was awaiting his response with great anticipation.
Dublin said that he intended to address the fact that Guyana was moving into a new business environment due to the oil sector, and the area of customs brokerage had to be upgraded.

He believes that the customs body should be able to work in conjunction with the Guyana Revenue Authority and Exxon Mobil to better integrate local operators. He said custom brokerage agents must receive the relevant training or exchanges that would allow them to function effectively in the emerging oil sector. That is, he said, to make agents aware of what it is that will be needed by Exxon, the manner in which it must be transported and other such related information.

Custom brokers may be employed by or affiliated with freight forwarders, independent businesses, or shipping lines, importers, exporters, trade authorities, and customs brokerage firms and are involved with managing the movement of cargo. It is an activity that is bound to increase, given the emergence of this new multi-billion dollar oil sector.
The discussion regarding local involvement or local content in and around the oil sector is growing louder as Guyana draws closer to its 2020 marker and more companies and individuals continue to seek opportunity in the new sector.

It was said that Exxon Mobil should play a greater role in helping locals prepare for the oil sector so that they would be better able to serve the company and benefit from their operations. The company has since promised to provide its local content plan.
It was mentioned that among the areas that could be improved for local content could be the targeting of specific skills and supply chains that are most relevant for development. The provision of data and information on future plans could also help with planning and designing local areas to benefit the oil sector.