CGX Energy Inc handed over G$14M worth of food supplies in the form of Rice Cereal meal replacements, manufactured locally by Morning Glory Inc. under the auspicies of the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST), to the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) on Sunday.

The good gesture is part of the company’s assistance to Guyanese during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the handing-over ceremony at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue, CGX Energy Inc., Executive Director, Professor Suresh Narine, said the donation is a “collaborative initiative between his company and their partner, Frontier Energy, in response to President Ali’s call for the private sector to step forward and assist his clear priority in addressing the Covid pandemic”.

He noted that CGX decided to include a local food product “to help sustain local food processors that are hard hit” at this time.

Professor Narine disclosed that the company will also be making a monetary donation of G$10M in the new week that will aid the CDC’s task of addressing the needs of the citizenry during this time.

On hand to receive the donation was Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, who expressed thanks on behalf of Prime Minister, Mark Phillips, who has been tasked with overseeing the CDC’s Covid-19 response.

The minister expressed thanks to the businesses that have been assisting citizens over the past four months but stressed that “this kind of initiative needs to be ramped up so that it can be more broad-based to reach more of the depressed and hinterland communities”.

CDC Director-General, Lieutenant-Colonel, Kester Craig, in expressing thanks to the private sector in the National Relief Response to bring meaningful relief to citizens, noted the importance of corporate responsibility of companies – especially those in the oil and gas sector.

“Those companies that have come on board so far are ExxonMobil, Tullow Offshore, SBM Offshore and today, CGX Energy Inc. It is good to see the oil and gas companies supporting humanitarian efforts,” the director-general said as he called on the private sector to continue supporting this vital effort that can help to flatten the curve.

He noted that CDC will work closely with the new task force and Cabinet sub-committee to ensure the items donated reach persons who are most affected by the virus.

Also present at the handing-over exercise was the IAST’s Chief Accountant, Nonieka Daniels; CDC’s Deputy-Director-General, Major Loring Benons and other officials.