Guyana committed to building stronger links with Ghana, says Bharrat Jagdeo
Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo said the Government of Guyana fully supports every effort aimed at strengthening business relations with Ghana
The vice-president of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo, has declared that his country is committed to building stronger ties with Ghana, especially in the hydrocarbons sector, for the mutual benefit of the two peoples of Ghana and Guyana.
Speaking at a networking and cocktail reception at the end of the two-day Ghana-Guyana Local Content and Capacity-Building Conference, organised by Ghana Chamber of Commerce Guyana and held at the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown, Guyana, Vice-President Jagdeo said the Government of Guyana fully supports every effort aimed at strengthening business relations with Ghana.
“We support any activity that will forge stronger links between our two countries [Ghana and Guyana] and also bring technical expertise and capital to our fledging private sector in this [oil and gas] industry.
“We are very supportive of this venture [the Ghana-Guyana Local Content and Capacity-Building Conference] and we thank the organisers for putting it together,” Vice-President Jagdeo said.
“I thought I should make myself available so that, should you have any lingering doubt about any of our [Guyana’s] policies, [I can bring clarity to bear],” he added.
Panel discussions
The two-day conference first considered the topic “Promoting Local Workforce Development”. Panellists discussed strategies for collaboration with local education institutions, attracting and retaining local talent and supporting vocational training programs.
Nana Adjoa Hackman, managing partner at Africa Legal Associates (ALA), moderated the opening session. The panellist for this discussion were Dr Martin Pertab, head of the Local Content Secretariat Guyana, Egbert Faibille Jnr, chief executive officer of the Petroleum Commission, Dr Suresh Narine, director of the CGX, and Dr Kofi Abban, chief executive of Rigworld Group.
“Maximising Local Content Participation” was another topic discussed. Panellists deliberated on policy, regulation and supplier development programmes that will enhance local content participation in the supply chain.
Moderated by Beatrice Mensah Tayui, chief executive of Cybele Energy Inc, the panel consisted of Bobby Gossai Jnr, senior petroleum co-ordinator, Abbigale Loncke Watson, chief executive of MBW Guyana, Kweku Boateng, director of local content with the Ghana Petroleum Commission, and Stanley Raja Ahorlu, managing director of PMD.
“Collaboration between Government, Industry and Local Communities” was another subject that came up for discussion. The panellists discussed the role of government policy, regulation and partnerships in fostering collaboration between industry stakeholders and local communities.
Alex Graham of Tagman Media, who is also the host of the podcast Energy Perspectives, moderated the sitting.
The panellists included Bobby Gossai Jnr, senior petroleum co-ordinator, Dr Suresh Narine, director of the CGX, and Opoku-Ahweneeh Danquah, chief executive of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation.
The GCCG
The Ghana Chamber of Commerce Guyana was commissioned on Monday 22 May 2023 in Queenstown, in the heart of Georgetown, Guyana, by Ghana’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Kobina Tahir Hammond, assisted by Guyana’s minister for public works, Bishop Juan Edghill.
The Ghana Chamber of Commerce has the primary mission of promoting trade, investment, human resource engagement and economic co-operation between Ghana and the Caribbean, Guyana being the focal hub.
A fundamental principle of the Ghana Chamber of Commerce is that members willbe deliberate in working in Guyana to build local capacity. The Chamber encourages joint ventures and other ways which ensure that Ghanaian entities operating in Guyana work in partnership with Guyanese companies.
This is to ensure that, at the very least, Ghanaian companies come to Guyana with value, to create value and share value with their Guyanese partners in a win-win arrangement.
The Chamber counts scores of major Ghanaian and international companies on its books in various areas, including fintech, finance, oil and gas, mining, power, real estate development, construction, agriculture, manufacturing, waste management and commodities trading.
It specialises in linking contractors with funding and opportunities. With the ability to arrange very competitive funding, including ECA facilities, through its strategic partnership with ALA Strategic Consult and clients, the Ghana Chamber of Commerce, Guyana, connects capital to opportunities.
The Chamber aims to help Guyanese companies build international partnerships with expertise and funding to help deliver on projects in Guyana.
Being the first and only Africa-focused chamber of commerce in the Caribbean, the Ghana Chamber of Commerce, Guyana, offers support to businesses from Africa working in Guyana or seeking opportunities in Guyana.
GCCG also provides information on opportunities, offers advice on regulatory matters, market intelligence and industry outlook, as well as organises workshops and training on industry knowledge and exchange programmes for skills transfer.
Reporting by Wilberforce Asare in Accra
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