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Efforts underway for Diaspora involvement in oil and gas sector – Foreign Secretary
Guyana’s Foreign Secretary, Robert Persaud.
Kaieteur News – The Government has outlined a plan to facilitate the involvement of thousands of overseas-based Guyanese, in the growing oil and gas sector.
These efforts, according to Guyana’s Foreign Secretary, Robert Persaud, are a work-in-progress. Persaud made this disclosure during the recently concluded Energy Conference which was held in Kingston last week. During the conference, Persaud divulged that even as the government gears towards building local content capacity, the administration is also looking to factor in expatriates as well as Guyanese living abroad in the ongoing work of the oil sector.
Persaud told the conference that “It is important to note that’s based on the latest data, we have more Guyanese living outside Guyana than inside. We have people living in Suriname, which has had significant oil discoveries. Thousands in Trinidad and thousands in Venezuela where there are mature oil sectors and that’s a huge resource-base. This is a population that possesses skills and resources and ability to network and mobilise to facilitate oil sector.”
He continued that “what the government is looking to see how we can attract them to play a part.” “One of those is by developing a platform so they know how to contribute. Doing it through the private sector through recruitment agencies, etc. for the oil sector,” he said, adding that efforts are underway to create a mechanism whereby Guyanese living abroad especially, those active in mature oil and gas sectors can contribute to helping to develop local capacity.”
“[This platform] is whereby they can be able to see opportunities here and work with us where they are able to fit in,” Persaud said. The Foreign Secretary noted that the administration has taken tangible steps towards making this plan a reality. “If you notice in the 2022 budget there is an allocation for budget for diaspora engagement and involvement. So, we have made this, a priority,” Persaud asserted.
The Foreign Secretary explained that the government is not viewing these Guyanese as just expatriates, “We view them as an element of local content participation… we are looking at how we can tap into their skills.”
He noted the opportunities for expatriates will not be limited to them but it is open to their descendants as well. “Another element is how to get the second and third generation in the Diaspora. We’ve been looking at ways to attract them and started a project to go after that and developing a youth volunteer programme. We are trying to develop these programmes to get them [involved] so that they can understand what’s happening in the sector and also bring the skills here,” he continued.
According to Persaud, if Guyana goes down this path successfully, the country can benefit from a design that has helped push the development of more established nations. “Ireland for example…they have not targeted migration scheme. They looked at how their people live and work and looked to tap into that. Ireland became the destination for many headquarters for their nationals…”
“And, because of the work of their Diaspora and incentives, that country has become a more attractive place to be. Similarly, we want the Diaspora to be a force of transformation and to engage them that they too can help.” Persaud said, adding that the work to factor in the Diaspora will not be limited to the oil and gas sector. “We see it as a catalyst and so while we talk about opportunities we don’t want to limit those to oil and gas but to tourism, manufacturing and other services,” he said.
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