Politics has not hindered work of Energy Dept. –Dr. Bynoe

Sep 28, 2019 News

The political developments, particularly the recent announcement by President David Granger that General and Regional Elections will be held as early as March 2, 2020, has not impacted the work of the Department of Energy which is preparing Guyana for first oil.

Energy Department Head, Dr. Mark Bynoe

Confirming this with Kaieteur News on Thursday was Energy Department Head, Dr. Mark Bynoe. He was the featured guest on Kaieteur Radio’s programme, “Guyana’s Oil and You.”
There, Dr. Bynoe noted that while the work of the department has not been impacted directly, there has been an indirect impact. In this regard, he noted that there are levels of uncertainty and concerns about what happens when the political developments which flowed from the successful passage of the No-Confidence Motion, are resolved.
The official said, “But we continue to indicate that as public servants, our main mandate is to serve the people of Guyana and we have been able, through projects funded by the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Fund (IDB), to press ahead with our work programme.”
Dr. Bynoe added, “So what we have been very keen on executing is to prepare for first oil while setting in place, the framework for the effective management of the sector. While doing that, there are some things which have to be advanced.
Therefore, we are seeking to ensure those are aligned with the framework we are seeking to establish.”
Elaborating further, the Energy Department Head said that there are a number of things which have been completed thus far such as a roadmap for the sector and a Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) procedure manual which speaks to the reporting requirements of the operators. In addition, Dr. Bynoe said that the department has been able to complete an organizational structure, develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as well as procedure manuals.
“So things have been advancing,” added the official.
With respect to the roadmap, the Energy Department Head explained that this document speaks to a range of options that are available for Guyana under different windows.
The official said, “…So with respect to capacity, it says whether the department could go organically or outsource (hire locals or overseas experts). With respect to data management, it indicates if Guyana should have a data repository system or outsource to those who already have that system.
“It also talks about marketing Guyana’s crude, if you want to go with an NOC (National Oil Company) or if you want to go with an established marketing agent.”
He added, “So there are different options presented along with the pros and cons of each route while being cognizant of where Guyana is and not just where it wants to be.”
Dr. Bynoe said that even “in the atmosphere of uncertainty,” the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) is still functioning.
Therefore, contracts are still able to go through. Because of this, Dr. Bynoe said that most of the technical personnel it is seeking will be hired quite soon.

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