-possible amendments expected in ‘due course,’ Attorney General says

CITING Guyana’s Local Content legislation as one that has yielded billions of dollars for the local private sector, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, SC, has said that as promised, the legislation is currently under review.

The legal affairs minister made this disclosure during a live broadcast of his weekly programme, ‘Issues in the News,’ where he spoke about the governance of Guyana’s oil and gas sector.

Nandlall indicated that the Local Content Act protects local labour and local employment opportunities and further, generated billions for the local private sector and those participating in the industry here.

Since its enactment, the attorney general said that the government has made it a point to note that after a period of time, the legislation will be reviewed and amended to be kept in line with the growing sector.

Further, he revealed that the act is currently under review and amendments will follow when that has been completed.

“We have said that after a period, we will review the Local Content legislation and the review is ongoing, and we will bring amendments to the National Assembly in due course,” he said.

Guyana’s Local Content Act was passed in December 2021 and brought with it guidelines that were designed to maximise the participation of Guyanese companies in the sector, beginning with the provision of services such as office-space rentals, janitorial services, laundry and catering services, pest- control services, insurance services and supply of food among several others.

Officials have said that the update to the piece of legislation will likely include new provisions that reflect the lessons learned since its enactment and include other opportunities and areas that have seen growth.

Earlier this year, Nandlall had said that the review and amendments to the law depended on a report from the Local Content Secretariat on the sector’s performance.

At that time, he noted that upon receipt of this report, the government intends to engage with the private sector for consultations for possible amendments.