TO strengthen its oversight of the oil and gas industry, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) engaged in a series of training sessions, all of which were captured by Auditor General Deodat Sharma in his 2023 report.
The official recalled that it was in July 2020 that the authority approved the establishment of its Petroleum Revenue Department (PRD).

Sharma noted that the department’s mandate includes petroleum tax audits, VAT refunds verification, objections and appeals, accounts management and debt management.

It was further noted that the strategy used to effectively commission, and staff the PRD entailed training officers from the various audit functions within the authority to create a repository of necessary skill sets.
Further to this, Sharma noted that 2023 saw multiple training sessions to boost their capacity. The official said these included Tropical Basic Offshore Survival and Emergency Induction Training (T-BOSIET) and Compressed Air Emergency Breathing System (CAEBS) training, both of which are essential for personnel working offshore.

T-BOSIET is an industry-standard course designed to teach emergency-response skills, including survival in water, fire-fighting, and first aid, tailored for offshore conditions. As for CAEBS training, this focuses on using emergency breathing systems, vital for situations where a rapid escape is needed, such as in the case of a helicopter ditching over water.

Training also included sessions with ODITC Incorporated, an organisation that provides specialised training for oil and gas professionals in areas such as safety, emergency response, and technical skills required for offshore work. Additionally, the GRA collaborated with Bayphase and S&P Global for industry-specific training.

Notably, Bayphase is a consultancy firm with expertise in oil and gas field development and cost analysis. They assist governments and companies in understanding project economics, cost recovery, and field operations—core elements that support oversight in revenue and tax management.

S&P Global, on the other hand, is a leading provider of financial information and analytics. They offer insights into commodity pricing, industry benchmarking, and economic analysis, which are essential for GRA staff to evaluate oil prices, market trends, and benchmark operating costs.

Their training included cost recovery principles (ensuring companies reclaim legitimate costs), benchmarking (comparing costs and performance metrics to industry standards), and offshore operations (overseeing drilling, production, and logistics on offshore platforms).

Sharma was also keen to point out the establishment of the Customs Petroleum Unit (CPU) Customs and Trade Administration which is mandated to monitor and verify customs procedures relative to the oil and gas sector. It addresses entry processing, cargo clearance, quality assurance, shadowing the valuation process of export oil, and valuation of goods imported by oil companies, contractors and subcontractors. It also handles exemptions, tariff classification, data analysis, research, inventory monitoring, and report and trade facilitation.

During 2023, Sharma said staff of the CPU participated in a Crude Marketing and Trading Programme, as well as Validation and Capacity Building.

In addition, 17 staff members completed the Tropical Basic Offshore Survival and Emergency Induction Training (T-BOSIET) at the 3tEnermech Training School located at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara.
Overall, these efforts underscore GRA’s commitment to ensuring transparency, accuracy, and efficiency in Guyana’s resource management.