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Details of Govt.’s management structure for oil sector remains a mystery
…after almost three years in office
Kaieteur News – At a rare press conference last week, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali delivered an elaborate and promising update on the progress of Guyana’s health, education, and infrastructure sectors.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali
He meticulously laid out specifics on infrastructure projects such as wells and roads, the allocation of textbooks for students, and the requisites for teachers, nurses, and doctors.
However, the President surprisingly omitted significant details about one of Guyana’s most critical industries – the oil sector.
The management structure of the oil sector and the personnel who constitute it remain a mystery, despite its pivotal role in the country’s economy. It is not a question of lesser importance that the President can simply sidestep.
The development and management of the oil industry have far-reaching implications for the nation’s economy, environment, and social fabric. Hence, it is of utmost importance for the public to know who is managing this precious resource and how capable they are.
When asked about the number of people managing the oil sector and the management structure, President Ali provided an evasive answer. He highlighted the increased number of Guyanese earning master’s degrees in oil and gas management and related legal areas.
He added, “We’re now working on bringing together a whole team to look at regulations. We have to look at the national natural gas plan… And that itself would require maybe hundreds of technically competent people. So in the short term, we have to import the skills that has the experience to ensure that now these new talent that are coming through… that experience is infused in them. So they’ll have the technical skill that comes from academics and the experience to manage this. So it’s an evolution. It is in train. It is in process. It wouldn’t happen overnight.”
He said the government is being helped, in its capacity-building efforts, with tremendous support to come from bilateral partners like Ghana, Qatar, and India.
However, the President did not disclose any specifics about the existing management structure or the people in charge of the sector.
The vague nature of his response raises concerns for some stakeholders. The oil industry is indeed complex and fraught with challenges, from negotiating contracts to managing day-to-day operations, handling environmental issues, and ensuring fair distribution of revenues.
Without a competent, transparent, and accountable management structure in place, the country risks squandering its chance to secure Guyana’s prosperity.
Several stakeholders agree that it is vital for the public to know the specifics of this management structure to hold it accountable.
A Petroleum Commission, a much-promised feature of the government’s 2020 elections campaign, holds significant potential to introduce transparency and accountability in the management of Guyana’s oil sector.
The Commission, through its inherent structural framework, could act as a regulatory body with clearly defined roles, responsibilities, and powers. Its structure would be publicly accessible, ensuring that every Guyanese citizen knows who is responsible for what in the oil sector, thus promoting transparency and trust.
Despite this, the government, now three years into its term, has yet to make good on its promise to establish such a Commission. The establishment of the Petroleum Commission should be a priority, not an afterthought, in the government’s strategy for managing the oil sector.
When asked about this, the President was also vague in disclosing why his government has not legislated the regulatory body, and he did not provide a timeline
The government’s failure to provide clarity on the management of the oil sector, despite its significance to the economy and national development, is a glaring omission.
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