A high-level delegation emanating from the private sector will this week travel to St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. The delegation will be led by President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) Deodat Indar; and comprises Nicholas Boyer and Major General (rt’d) Norman McLean.
Being facilitated by the High Commission of Canada, through their industry partners in St. John’s, the delegation will participate in a one-week fact-finding mission which will provide practical insights of the province’s offshore Oil and Gas Industry.
The mission entails discussions with government officials and industry associations such as the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board, St. John’s Board of Trade, the Departments of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation and Natural Resources, the Newfoundland and Labrador Oil and Gas Industry Association, the Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industries Association, the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Women Entrepreneurs and the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Technology Industries.
The Mission also includes high-level business-to-business meetings, site visits and tours of facilities such as warehouses, supply base, training facilities so as to be able to better understand local content development, packaging, safety and accounting systems. The Team is also slated to meet with academic institutions including universities and technical institutes to discuss areas of possible collaborations and technical assistance.
This Mission is a follow-up to the Oil and Gas Trade Mission from St. John’s to Guyana in September 2017 which generated market synergies and opened areas for private sector engagement. This subsequent Mission allows for further sharing of information, networking, advancing earlier discussions and provides a means for deepening bilateral trade between the two countries.
In a released statement, the GCCI outlined that Newfoundland and Labrador offers a wealth of experience from which Guyana can benefit, especially in the area of the Oil and Gas industry which aided in the economic transformation of the province from its traditional fishery base to a modern economy.
The Guyanese private sector delegation has signaled an interest in the exchange of information in specific areas such as local content, production, monitoring and accounting systems, safety systems, royalty systems and more.
According to the release, Canada reassures Guyana that it remains committed to working with the Government and the Guyanese private sector in fostering mutually beneficial partnerships and strategic alliances to develop the nascent Oil and Gas industry.
