AS Guyana continues to rise as an oil-producing nation, the focus must now shift towards sustained capacity building to ensure local suppliers are not only participating in the industry but are also leading it.

This is according to President of the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chambers (GOGEC), Manniram Prashad, who was at the time speaking at the recently held Guyana Supplier Forum.

He stated that the forum was more than an industry event but serves as a milestone that represents how far Guyana has come as a nation in a relatively short space of time.

In less than a decade, he said that Guyana has moved from being an emerging player in the global oil and gas industry to one of the world’s most dynamic oil-producing countries and an energy frontier that is being watched closely by the world.

Key to this, Prashad added, is the inclusion of Guyanese businesses in the oil and gas supply chain.

He used the opportunity to hail ExxonMobil Guyana for its early commitment to local engagement, noting that the proactive engagement helped set the tone for what is seen flourishing today, a dynamic and expanded eco-system of Guyanese-owned businesses supporting the sector.

He added that the formalisation of local content through legislation further deepened this participation. “The Local Content Act formalised and accelerated this process. It gave us a legal and policy framework to ensure greater participation and more structural engagement between operators and suppliers.”

Beyond policy, the GOGEC president indicated that it has been the people of Guyana who have truly driven this progress.

“The true success of local content has been driven by the dedication, adaptability and entrepreneurial spirit of our Guyanese people,” he noted.

Despite the progress, Prashad stated that the road ahead remains long, stressing that when the progress is celebrated, they must also remain cognisant that this is just the beginning.

“There is still a long road ahead to ensure that local suppliers are not just included but positioned to lead. To achieve this, we must continue to focus on capacity building, which is very important so that our local suppliers can meet international standards and compete with the best,” he remarked.