RORAIMA Airways has partnered with aerospace and defence organisation PAL aerospace, to help build a ‘Made in Guyana’ aerospace and defence sector.

The partnership was announced on Friday evening at a simple cocktail reception at the Roraima Duke Lodge, Kingston. Director of Roraima Airways Gerald Gouveia said the partnership was developed following a visit to Newfoundland, Canada, last year November by a private sector team.

Gouveia said that Roraima is seeking to learn best practices so it can capitalise on opportunities in the oil and gas industry. “Their experience working with oil and gas for the last 30 years is going to lift us to the next level,” Gouveia noted.

He said too, that the joint venture allows the company to provide monitoring services to the regulators of the oil and gas sector. “It’s extending the enforcement, the monitoring of our government into the ocean … and it’s also providing security for the rig, for Guyanese fishing vessels, for all the supply ships,” he said.

Director of Research and Development at PAL aerospace, Stephen Green, noted that the company is one of Canada’s largest aerospace and defence firms. PAL is a fully integrated company that provides maritime patrol aircraft and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance services.

“Our partnership is based on the transfer of knowledge, training, skills and transfer of technology,” Green said.

Gouveia noted that the partnership also provides the opportunity to offer “next generation equipment and technology” to the defence and fishing sectors.

A number of local companies have been partnering with international companies to capitalise on opportunities in Guyana’s rapidly growing oil and gas industry. At the first quarter of this year alone, Exxon and its main contractors utilised products and services from 227 Guyanese companies.

Exxon also has a supplier registration portal where local companies can register their business to be notified of available contacts or even maximise on joint venture opportunities.
Through its Centre for Local Business Development, Exxon has registered 1,163 companies on its Supplier Registration Portal (SRP) of which 855 are Guyanese companies. (DPI)