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Best practices to underpin imminent Petroleum Commission – Dr. Bynoe

Jul 30, 2019 News

The Energy Department is taking a proactive approach towards ensuring that the upcoming Petroleum Commission is established using the best possible framework.
Head of the Department of Energy,(DoE) Dr. Mark Bynoe, told a press conference at the Ministry of the Presidency, yesterday, that the DoE is moving forward with the process of hiring a consultant to do a needs-based assessment before any action is taken to set up the Commission.
The Energy Department Head revealed that the hiring of the consultant would occur in the last quarter of this year.
Dr. Bynoe said, too, that the DoE has advertised for the expertise both locally and internationally.
“The department is utilizing a two stage recruitment process to hire the consultant. We advertised locally and internationally and have received a number of expressions of interest.
“We have since moved towards asking them to submit their request for proposals.”
Further, he noted that the DoE has continually indicated that what is necessary for the Commission to be in place, is an updated primary legislation.
According to Dr. Bynoe, this translates to the revision and possible repeal/replacement of the 1986 Petroleum Exploration and Production Act.
He explained, “Once that is in place, we will be able to move rapidly towards establishing the other subsidiary entities, legislation and regulations.”
In the interim, Dr. Bynoe said the DoE is examining what are some of the best practices for a Petroleum Commission to be in place.
“What kinds of structures; what kinds of units need to be there and what skill sets we need to be working with.
“So that is what the needs-assessment is expected to do…It is more in terms of setting up an organizational structure for a Petroleum Commission …
“We will go through the requisite consultative process. The Department is looking to hire an international firm which should be in place early in the fourth quarter of 2019.”
He said, however, that the Commission can only be implemented after the legal elements have been constructed.
At present, the Petroleum Commission Bill, a key legislation in the process, remains before a Special Select Committee of Parliament.
The Bill was subject to several reviews after Opposition parliamentarians pointed out that proposed law vests too much power in the Minister of Natural Resources and should be adjusted to reflect an apolitical stance of the sector.
That Bill states that the Minister is to appoint the Board of the Petroleum Commission and is empowered to act as the Board in the absence of an active board.
The Board will control the commission and the commission will have the main say in the oil sector.
Therefore, in giving the Minister the power to act as the board, the Bill is giving the Minister Powers to singly control the sector.
Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, later disclosed that the World Bank and Inter American Development Bank had committed to sending experts to help redraft the Petroleum Commission Bill to make it more acceptable.

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