–Guyana Oil & Gas Energy Chamber President
PREESIDENT of the Guyana Oil & Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC), Manniram Prashad has congratulated the Government of Guyana and the Government of Trinidad & Tobago for having committed to a renewed bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
On Sunday, the two nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) covering trade and investment, energy, security, agriculture, infrastructure and the removal of non-tariff barriers, among other interests.
GOGEC, in a statement, also congratulated President, Dr. Irfaan Ali for positioning Guyana to take the lead at the regional level on these fronts, which solidify Guyana’s regional and geopolitical importance.
GOGEC, in 2018, had also welcomed and supported the MoU signed between Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana at that time under the APNU+AFC Government.
The recently-concluded Agriculture Investment Expo was a resounding success, and a clear and explicit demonstration of the regional leaders’ support for the goals set out therein, and, notably, the renewed call for the resuscitation of the “Jagdeo initiative” by regional leaders, the Oil & Gas Energy Chamber said.
Against the backdrop of Guyana being the fastest growing economy in the world, driven by the oil and gas sector, the Chamber said Guyana is well positioned to take the lead on the regional integration agenda aimed at strengthening cooperation within the Caribbean region through the auspices of CARICOM, within the framework of leveraging the country’s aggressive and transformative development agenda.
“To achieve these ambitious and common regional goals, indeed, it requires strong political leadership. Guyana does not only have oil as its attractiveness to foreign investors, and underpinning its regional importance, but it is also endowed with an abundance of natural resources, including arable agricultural land and potable water,” the release said.
GOGEC said it is also pleased to see the high-level political commitment in achieving the goals set out in the MoU between the two countries, and, by extension, the wider regional integration agenda.
In particular, GOGEC said it looks forward to continue working with the Government of Guyana in terms of shaping the energy landscape of Guyana, and with its Trinidadian counterpart in this regard.
“There are many areas for cooperation, collaboration and partnerships in the energy sector, including energy infrastructure, capacity building and training and promoting joint venture partnerships between Guyanese and Trinidadian companies in the energy sector and across the oil and gas value chain.
“GOGEC wishes to highlight that prior to the signing of this MoU between the two countries and prior the Guyana’s enactment of the Local Content Legislation, already a number of Trinidadian and Guyanese firms have formed strategic partnerships to operate and exploit the opportunities in the oil and gas sector,” the release said.
