PRESIDENT, Dr Irfaan Ali has set a firm deadline for the monetisation of Guyana’s gas reserves, declaring that the country must make a definitive decision before 2030.

Speaking during his feature address at the Berbice Development Summit, the President said that the issue of how Guyana will utilise its natural-gas resources cannot be delayed or passed on to another administration.

“I am telling you that before 2030, we have to make a decision on gas monetisation, and I am not leaving this decision for anyone after,” Dr Ali stated.

He noted that the government is currently assessing several models for gas use and export, with the aim of maximising national benefits, while balancing sustainability, job creation and industrial transformation.

According to the President, the government’s objective is to ensure that ‘every molecule of gas’ contributes to the country’s economic diversification. He noted that the ongoing infrastructural developments, including pipelines, industrial parks and downstream facilities, will serve as the backbone of this long-term plan.

“This is about positioning Guyana to extract the highest possible value from every resource we have,” Dr Ali said.

He went on to add that the country’s development trajectory must be anchored by sound economic choices made within the coming decade.

He cautioned that indecision could cost Guyana valuable time in capturing the benefits of the global energy transition, which increasingly favours countries that can demonstrate stable, sustainable, and integrated energy systems.

“We are not just producing oil and gas. We are shaping how those resources transform our economy,” he added. “The decisions we make now will define what Guyana looks like in the next 50 years.”

President Ali underscored that while oil has dominated early production, natural gas represents a crucial phase in Guyana’s industrial transformation, one that will determine the pace and depth of economic diversification.

“This is not about politics,” he said. “It’s about the legacy we leave behind, a legacy of making tough decisions now, so that our children and grandchildren inherit a stronger, more resilient Guyana.”

Currently, work is underway in relation to the construction of the gas-to-energy project, which is set to transport offshore natural gas to the onshore facility at Wales. The project aims to reduce the cost of electricity by 50 per cent. Additional parts of the plan further along include plans to sell cooking gas, fertiliser and other natural gas by-products domestically and regionally.