…former minister, other officials say
…urge full support by all stakeholders

THE appointment of Dr. Mark Bynoe, Environment and Resource Economist and former head of the project development and management unit of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) as head of the Department of Energy is being seen as positive news to many.

Dr. Bynoe’s appointment was confirmed on Monday by Minister of State Joseph Harmon, who noted that a formal announcement will be made later. The appointment of Dr Bynoe followed an announcement made by the Government of Guyana earlier this year that the Ministry of Natural Resources would no longer be dealing with the petroleum sector and that sector would fall under the Ministry of the Presidency.

According to the administration, there is need for specialised attention to be placed on the petroleum sector, given the complexity of tasks that exist with the administering of such resources. At the moment, it is unclear who the other appointed staff of the Department of Energy are.

But as news spread of Dr Bynoe’s appointment, there have been mixed views, though most are positive. On social media, former minister of natural resources under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Robert Persaud said Dr Bynoe’s appointment is welcomed.
“Based on my interactions–in my capacity as a government minister–with Dr. Bynoe, I have always found him to be a consummate professional with a deep sense of commitment to country and the tasks before him. His academic qualifications and wide professional experience speak for themselves and need no elaboration.”

Persaud chided utterances by many which suggest that Dr. Bynoe lacks the requisite experience to head the department as Guyana prepares for first-oil in the first quarter of 2020. “He’s a young, brilliant Guyanese and we all must be proud that we can find someone, amongst us, who can be tasked with this responsibility. Unlike a few ‘experts’ (who now populate the newspapers with their advice and doomsday predictions) and were away for decades enjoying their cushy jobs, (as is their right) including with oil majors and did little or nothing in the initial period when we were preparing for a sustainable oil-and-gas sector, Dr. Bynoe was offering his expertise in moulding environmental and natural resources professionals at UG, among other contributions,” the former minister stated.
He added that it is important that Guyanese be given an equal opportunity to contribute to a sector that is new. “We must be able to give our own a chance, rather than rushing to doubt their skills and abilities to rise to the occasion,” Persaud stated, while cautioning that the success of Dr. Bynoe and his department is dependent on “how involved all stakeholders will be and given an opportunity to contribute to the success of the management of Guyana’s oil-and-gas sector.”

Similarly, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana (UG) Professor Ivelaw Griffith, on Facebook congratulated Dr. Bynoe for being appointed to the post. “I am what I am. I am who I am. Congrats to this distinguished alumnus and former lecturer of our university on his appointment as the founding director of this important new element of Guyana’s preparation for the oil-and-gas venture and adventure! Keep on keeping on! I am UG Renaissance,” said the vice-chancellor.

Meanwhile, executive member of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Ramesh Dookhoo, described Dr Bynoe’s appointment as a good one. In a comment on Facebook, Dookhoo said, “A good if not great appointment. Mark was an early executive director of the PSC in its formative days.”

Like Dookhoo, Marine Turtle Conservationist Annette Arjoon congratulated Dr Bynoe. She said in a Facebook post, “Congrats Mark and it’s good to have you back home.”
In an article published in Wednesday’s edition of the Stabroek News, former advisor to President David Granger on oil and gas Jan Mangal noted that the requirements for someone to head the department were outlined in a plan documented in March 2018 during his tenure. “The head of the new Department of Energy, per the plan from March, was to be someone with international gravitas, someone who could challenge the likes of (former US Secretary of State and former Head of ExxonMobil) Rex Tillerson, for example, who was comfortable talking [oil and gas] with ministers from the major producing countries and the top executives from the major oil companies,” Mangal was quoted as saying in the Stabroek News.

According to that article, the person appointed should have high-level ministerial experience in natural resources and executive-level experience with a major oil and gas company.

“The objective was to hire the best from around the world, and the intention was to advertise transparently in top international magazines (such as the Economist). It is unlikely any Guyanese would have fit the criteria, but that was accepted back in March,” Mangal reportedly stated. He expressed some concern that Dr Bynoe’s appointment “did not follow the plan from March.”

Dr Bynoe, who served as Director, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences (formerly Environmental Studies Unit), University of Guyana, is the holder of a Doctorate in Economics (Environmental Economics) from the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom, A Master’s Degree in Resource Management), University of Edinburgh, Scotland; a Postgraduate Diploma in Development Studies, University of Guyana; a BA Geography/Economics (double major) from the University of Guyana; a Certificate in Environmental Economics and Policy Analysis, Harvard Institute of International Development, Harvard University, United States of America; and a Certificate in Programme Monitoring and Evaluation hosted by the Commonwealth Secretariat, St. George’s University in Grenada, Grenada.

The soon-to-be-established Department of Energy will focus primarily on the country’s up-and- coming oil-and-gas sector and the department falls directly under the Ministry of the Presidency and will receive direct guidance from President David Granger.
Earlier this year, government announced that Minister Trotman will hand over the oil-and-gas sector given Cabinet’s approval for the establishment of a new Department of Energy within the Ministry of the Presidency. The Ministry of the Presidency had made it clear that the Natural Resources Minister had not been stripped of his responsibilities in the oil-and-gas sector. “The Natural Resources Minister has provided sterling leadership in the development of the sector and it is under his stewardship that significant progress has been made in capacity-building and preparations for ‘first-oil’,” the MoTP said in a release earlier this year.