Today’s column returns to the issue of Local Content Policy (LCP) which appears either to have been drowned out by the excitement of First Oil or in which interest seems to have ebbed – a pattern since the Local Content was first raised in the aftermath of the disclosure of the signing of the 2016 Petroleum Agreement. As Column 79 reported the first Draft Local Content Policy Framework was dated April 2017, the second May 2018 and the third May 2019. Perhaps we are heading for another May, maybe.
In the scheme of things, Trotman’s successor has been no more diligent in pursuing a Local Content Policy than Trotman and in fact, all of Bynoe’s high profile contractors have been non-locals: Mr. Matthew Wilks, Advisor on Oil and Gas; Dr. Michael Warner, Advisor on Local Content and Ms. Virginia Markouizou, described as a Crude Marketing Specialist, with little evidence that any of the three was appointed through the transparent mode of procurement. It is almost forgotten that there are mandatory local content requirements in the Petroleum Exploration and Production Act which Trotman and Bynoe have completely disregarded to the detriment of Guyana and Guyanese.
