Close to 400 businesses register for inaugural Guyana Energy Conference

The inaugural Guyana Energy Conference or ‘GEC-X’ slated for February 2022 has already garnered the support of close to 400 businesses, both local and international, eager to see what Guyana’s petroleum and energy sector has to offer.

The conference was initially slated for September this year but due to the constraints presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the main organiser – the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) – thought it best to push the conference to the new year.

And though GEC-X will serve as the platform to showcase Guyana’s oil and gas prospects, President of the Chamber, Timothy Tucker said that the focus will also be heavy on local content and putting the local private sector on the map.

According to Tucker, previous conferences held in Guyana were hosted by foreigners with the local private sector “getting no play in it.”

“They do not understand the nature, the affordability and accessibility of the locals, what we can do and how we can play a part,” the GCCI President noted.

“We think that the GCCI has the ability to exhibit that and we can show the country, the world what Guyana has to offer and what we are made of.”

Tucker noted too that GEC-X is expected to be one with “a twist and a Guyanese flair” with a local village being set to exhibit the country’s tourism sector.

“…because this is what local content really is about, it is about building all our other industries by using the major one,” the Chamber President said.

“We are going to collaborate with the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association, the Tourism, and Hospitality Association and the other Regional Chambers of Commerce to have their input into the local village, so that people can also see what Guyana has to offer beyond oil and gas and energy.”

Meanwhile, among the other thematic areas of GEC-X, Executive Director of GCCI, Richard Rambarran explained that a detailed discussion is expected on the development trajectory of the industry over the medium term and the outlook of the oil and gas industry for the future.

Further, emphasis will be placed on the legislative aspects of the petroleum sector and also Guyana’s transition to renewable energy. GEC-X will also focus heavily on assisting and connecting local businesses and foreign investors to the energy industry.

GEC-X will be held under the theme, “Powering the Future”. Details about the signature event will be made available soon.