Govt. eyes Local Content Law for mining

Feb 13, 2026 News

…as oil models delivers billions

(Kaieteur News) – Buoyed by what it describes as the success of Guyana’s Local Content Act in the oil and gas sector, the Government is now exploring similar legislation for the mining industry to ensure greater benefits flow to Guyanese.

The disclosure was made by subject Minister, Vickram Bharrat during the Consideration of Budgetary Estimates for 2026. He was at the time responding to a question by APNU Member of Parliament (MP), Juretha Fernandes when he pointed to the success of the current law in not only raking in value through the petroleum industry, but other non-oil sectors as well.

Bharrat explained, “When we designed, passed and implemented the Local Content Legislation now it was primarily intended for the oil and gas sector but what we have done over the years is that we have tried to get investors who are investing in other sectors to also at least try to be compliant or in line with the Local Content legislation even though it’s targeting the oil and gas sector.”

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat

To this end he explained that numerous investors coming to these shores for agriculture, tourism, mining or other areas have been aligning their operations with the Act.

Be that as it may, he told the Parliamentary Committee of Supply, “It is something we are considering whether there is need to have a dedicated Local Content legislation for mining or for the other sectors but we have seen good results to be quite honest since we have implemented the present Local Content legislation across all sectors.”

Meanwhile, the minister noted that a portion of this year’s Budget has been set aside towards revising the existing Local Content Act of 2021.
“Consultations have already started to make amends to the legislation and also to revise Schedule One of the Local Content legislation with the possibility of adding more services to the 40 that already exist and to revise targets for those services that have been carved out for Guyanese businesses.”

The Local Content Act was passed in the National Assembly in December, 2021. It is intended to regulate the way companies operate in Guyana’s oil and gas sector; employ persons, buy services and the way that they procure goods.

The First Schedule of the Act sets out 40 categories of work for Guyanese participation via the supply of goods and the provision of services which include: food supply, rental of office space, accommodation, insurance, accounting and legal services. Foreign companies wanting to operate within those areas are required to partner with local firms. However, the law stipulates that the Guyanese partner must have 51% or more beneficial ownership, among other benefits.

According to the Act, Guyanese must provide 90% of office space rental; 90% of accommodation services (rental of houses and apartments;25% pipe welding onshore; 75% non-hazardous waste management; 90% janitorial and laundry services; 90% catering; 75% food supply; 100% immigration services and 100% local insurance services to name a few.

The private sector here has called for increased local content targets in the schedule to shore up more opportunities for Guyanese.

In September last year, ExxonMobil, the operator of the Stabroek Block said the company and its contractors have spent over GY$600 billion with Guyanese businesses since operations began in 2015. In the first half of 2025 alone, Exxon noted that GY$87 billion was spent directly with 1,800 local vendors.

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Budgetary Estimates, Local Content Law, Mining, Vickram Bharrat

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