…to collaborate in areas of job placement, training
By Lisa Hamilton
ONE of the newest Oil and Gas (O&G) support companies to enter Guyana’s petroleum industry is Unicon Guyana Inc. (UGI), made possible through a joint- venture agreement between local company, Amazonia Expert Services Limited and Ghanaian company, Unicon Western Holdings Limited (UWHL).
The two, now UGI locally, will collaborate in the areas of training and certification; job placement in the sector for Guyanese and CARICOM nationals; the provision of trained, skilled labour; the provision of services associated with the sector and more.
The agreement was signed on Monday at UGI’s launching and cocktail reception hosted at the Herdmanston Lodge under the theme ‘Partnership for People Centered Petroleum Development’.
In welcoming remarks, UGI Director Dr. Patrick Antoine said that it is the first such joint venture to be signed in the field between companies of the two countries.
He stated that the Business to Business (B2B) relationship infuses much-needed “oxygen” for lasting integration between Africa and the Caribbean. He also noted that the joint venture is fashioned in the context of the Treaty of Chaguaramas.
“In three short months, these two entities, one from Ghana and the other from the Caribbean, have jointly positioned themselves into an outstanding entity that is poised to invest in Guyana’s new economy, and to bring much-needed services to the oil and gas industry, even as the country positions itself to be a world leader in this regard,” Dr. Antoine said.
MANY TO BENEFIT
Representing Amazonia Expert Services Limited, its Chairman Dr. Arlington Chesney said that the intention is to link Guyana to Ghana and, by extension, to the rest of CARICOM. Through the joint venture, he summarised that the companies will be able to benefit in the areas of energy, education, agriculture, trade and tourism.
Dr. Chesney said that while “people reengineering” for the emerging sector can be difficult, Amazonia Expert Services wants to ensure that Guyanese are not left out. He said that come the first quarter of 2020, there will be “intensive and specialised training” to help local workers of the new company to climb to industry standards.
Meanwhile, he pledged that UGI will pursue the increasing of its local-content efforts with the employment of Guyanese. Once locals are trained and certified by UWHL, with experience they are qualified to work anywhere in the world. Dr. Chesney highlighted that UWHL has had only one accident in 11 years. “What was done in Ghana we want to be able to do it here, and with the same level of success… UGI is ready for business,” he said.
He assured that UGI will respect the Laws of Guyana in its operations, and likewise expects its workers to adhere to the company’s policies. He also assured that UGI will not discriminate against workers in areas such as payment for the same job, providing that locals complete their training. The idea for Amazonia Expert Services Limited began some six months ago, and the company is currently made up of nationals of CARICOM.
HOPE FOR YOUNG GUYANESE
Delivering the feature address, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Karen Cummings said that the agreement finds favour with the Government, which wants to see the advancement of the business landscapes in Guyana for the creation of additional and better paying jobs.
The minster said that she is proud that under the current administration, a new direction has been set for the country, which gives hope to young Guyanese. She stated that the Government looks forward to more countries like Ghana and companies like UGI choosing to invest in the country.
“Businesses like UGI are an important part of our plans to create more jobs for Guyanese, and to ensure increased local participation in our oil-and-gas sector at all levels of the value chain, including services and secondary industries. Only by ensuring that we build value chains and industries can we guarantee the Guyanese people opportunities to earn more, and put more money in people’s pockets through higher value jobs,” she said. Also addressing the audience was Stena Caron Rig Manager Chris Hutton who highlighted the importance of developing “excellent local partnerships”. He wished the two companies the best in their coming endeavours.
UWHL Chief Operations Officer (COO) Mark Ebbah assured that UWHL has over 11 years of experience in the sector, over which period it has developed “a reputation for excellence” as a credible partner. UWHL was established in 2005, and is a private holding and multi-faceted conglomerate with subsidiaries engaged in O&G labour supply, transport and logistics, engineering and hospitality among others.
