– DoE official urges participants at Exxon-funded local-content forum

LOCAL-content opportunities for over 300 Guyanese businesses were maximised on Monday with the hosting of the inaugural Liza Phase 1 Supplier Development Forum.
The event, which was aimed at building relationships between Guyanese suppliers and prime oil-and-gas contractors, was hosted by ExxonMobil Guyana in collaboration with the Centre for Local Business Development (CLBD) at the Marriott Hotel.

It gave local businesses, many of whom submitted Expressions of Interest (EOIs) or Requests For Information (RFIs) to the oil company, the opportunity of learning how they could best become qualified to serve the sector.

In her opening remarks, Legal Adviser and Project Coordinator at the Department of Energy, Joanna Simmons-Homer established that Guyana’s DNA has now been altered to accomodate a future which must include transformation to a petroleum producer and a ‘green’ economy simultaneously.

Speaking specifically to the scores of attendees whom she saw as the forerunners of this exciting transformation process, Simmons-Homer said:
“These forums aim at improving transparency, communication and solidifying relationships. For international companies such as ExxonMobil, strong relationships with Guyanese businesses serve to bolster and underpin its global status.

“[We] ?must therefore make every effort, and seize every opportunity to successfully engage for today, tomorrow and many tomorrows to come.”

SET FOR LIFE
She also applauded and encouraged the work of the CLBD, noting that with the country’s ?local-content policy in its final stage of drafting, those who position themselves for early opportunities are set for good fortune.

Meanwhile, an assessment of the journey towards transformation came from Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Desmond Sears, who stressed the need for investors to adhere to the country’s laws as they enter into business with locals.

“The Private Sector Commission welcomes all investors to our shores who are desirous of establishing businesses adhering to the rules and laws of Guyana. We are firm believers in the sanctity of contracts, and we advocate for good corporate governance and ethical business practices,” Sears said.

He said that the commission believes that the local-content policy should be implemented as soon as possible, with due consideration for revision by local businesses.

Said he: “Given the race against time before oil production, for sure it is an ?uphill task for the local private sector to service activities in and around the oil and gas sphere. However, this is also a developmental journey for Guyanese businesses and citizens to benefit from knowledge transfers and technological spill- overs to earn a better living, and to improve the way we do business.”

He also called for the modernising of Port Georgetown, which he said is timely as its returns would be beneficial to the economy.

He was also keen to urge the investors present to “look beyond oil and gas opportunities” in Guyana to the many other rich resources of the country and the untapped avenues for development.

“Most companies investing in Guyana currently [are approaching] with an eye of oil and gas, but living in this fast-paced world with new technological developments and giving the volatile state of the oil market, there are lots of other meaningful economic activities to which Guyana has comparative advantage due to our boundless resources,” Sears said.
He thanked ExxonMobil and the CLBD for hosting of the forum, as he encouraged foreign suppliers to assist local companies in becoming compliant with the standards of the sector.

LONG-TERM COMMITMENT
Greeting the gathering, too, was ExxonMobil-Guyana’s Country, Manager Rod Henson who said that ExxonMobil has made a long-term commitment to Guyana, with local suppliers being crucial to the overall success.

“We’ll help companies take the next step by sharing best practices, and working to improve the competitiveness for local suppliers,” Henson said. “This will help them to capitalise on growing opportunities not only in the oil-and-gas sector, but future opportunities in the broader industries.”

He also affirmed that the oil company is also duty-bound to be safe and responsible in developing the nation’s resource.

“This is high-tech, critically- important work, and we’re all under a microscope. We are not, and we will not be, an industry that hurts people or damages the environment. We can’t have substandard or low quality work,” he said, adding:

“We will continue to work closely with our sub-contractors and suppliers, investing time, people and resources to qualify and develop local capabilities…
“I encourage businesses here to take advantage and to utilize the services available at the Centre for Local Business Development.”

Local suppliers were also provided with the 2019 procurement forecast of prime contractors like Noble Drilling, TechnipFMC, Saipem, SMB Offshore and Guyana Shore Base Inc (GYSBI)
In the afternoon, there were interactive panel discussions on pressing procurement questions and how businesses can better move into the oil-and-gas spin-off supply chain.
Today, over 1,000 local companies registered on CLBD’s Supplier’s Registration Portal have been invited to take part in an exhibition put on by ExxonMobil, where suppliers will speak directly with prime contractors.

Although the oil company hosts supplier forums globally, the two-day event was tailored for more face-to-face engagements to meet the needs of local content in Guyana.