CHIEF Executive Officer (CEO) of Guyana’s oldest locally-owned private security firm, GEB Security Services Inc., Maurice Amres says the company is taking steps to benefit from the massive opportunities in the oil and gas sector.

He told the Guyana Chronicle that his company intends to become one of the newer security firms providing services to the major sector.
The GEB Security Services Inc. received ISO 9001:2015 certification from Global Compliance Service Guyana Inc. on Thursday.

The company provides armed and unarmed security services, and is the first here to receive this internationally-recognised certification in 2022.

Amres’ interest in serving the oil-and-gas sector started a few years ago when he was approached to provide security services to the sector. He noted that while his company offers efficient and quality service, it lacked ISO certification, which is required for firms entering the oil-and-gas sector.

The 52-year-old company provides baton, canine and armed services to embassies, high commissions, large corporations, factories and banks; it also offers marine services for businesses that require river boat patrol and marine guards.

ISO 9001 is the internationally recognised standard for a quality management system (QMS) that was developed and published by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). This certification provides a model for companies of all types and sizes to improve their internal systems, build quality management systems, and operate effectively at different levels, including the ability to focus on customer requirements, and constantly find ways to become resilient and sustainable.

This standard is based on seven quality management principles: Having a strong customer focus; the involvement of high-level company management; employee engagement; evidence-based decision-making; an outlined process-based approach; relationship management; and ongoing improvement of business operations.

The certification of GEB Security Services Inc. marks the third local security company to receive ISO certification. This move, according to Amres, directly correlates with the recently enacted local-content legislation, and will soon allow his organisation the opportunity to enter the local oil-and-gas sector.

LOCAL CONTENT LEGISLATION
Since the establishment of the oil and gas sector, many Guyanese individuals and businesses have benefitted from job opportunities and income generated from the sector. Those opportunities are set to see a significant increase in 2022, with the recent enactment of the local-content legislation.

Guyana’s Local Content legislation, which was tabled by Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat, and subsequently passed in the National Assembly, seeks to ensure that Guyanese and Guyanese-owned businesses are given preference when it comes to providing goods and services to the major oil companies operating within Guyana’s borders.

It outlines 40 areas that oil companies and sub-contractors procure from Guyanese companies and Guyanese nationals by the end of 2022. For instance, by the end of 2022, oil companies and their sub-contractors must ensure that 100 per cent of their ground transportation needs are satisfied by Guyanese entities.

The same percentage applies to the provision of immigration support services, customs brokerage services, and visa and work permit services. Similarly, Guyanese should provide 90 per cent of the office space rental and accommodation services; 90 per cent for janitorial, laundry, catering services; 95 per cent pest control services; 25 per cent medical services; 20 per cent aviation and support services and 75 per cent local food supply.

LOCALS IN OIL AND GAS
At the recently concluded International Energy Conference and Expo, Chairman of ExxonMobil Darren Woods stressed the importance of locals being employed both directly in the oil-and-gas and **spin-off sectors. He noted that even as the company continues to expand its operations here, locals play a major role in its sustainability within the oil-and-gas sector.

Woods said that Exxon, since setting up its operations here, has employed more than 3,500 Guyanese, and worked with 800 local suppliers.

“From the very beginning, we worked together to ensure that our activities had far-reaching and enduring benefits for the country and its people. We believe it’s vitally important that benefits are widely shared. This includes increasing the capabilities of the local workforce, and building new infrastructure,” the ExxonMobil Chairman related.