(Kaieteur News) – Already unable to meet the deadline for Phase One of the Wales Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project, Lindsayca Guyana Inc., owned by Venezuelan nationals has submitted two bids for a natural gas liquids (NGLs) storage and offloading facility and pipeline to support the GTE project.

Bids published by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) indicate that the contractor submitted two financial proposals, competing alongside a Chinese firm that submitted a vastly lower bid.

Lindsayca’s two bids were US$537,067,823 and US$493,409,267.

Meanwhile, the third and final bid was from China CAM Engineering Co Ltd. The proposal from the Chinese was just about 6 per cent of Lindsayca’s lowest financial proposal to government- US$27,970,686.

Ongoing construction activities at the GTE project site, Wales, West Bank Demerara

Sources involved in the GTE project told Kaieteur News that the September 17 tender for storage tanks was structured to favor the incumbent contractor and mask a widening cash shortfall at the ongoing Wales development. In fact, industry insiders said that the timeline heavily favored Lindsayca, a contractor currently struggling to meet baseline deadlines on the project’s primary phases.

Sources explained, “While an initial 12 international consortiums originally expressed interest in the natural gas liquids (NGL) tank construction, the task force issued a sudden “flash-bid,” giving contenders less than a month to review full engineering specifications and clarifications before submitting proposals.”

Given the short timeframe and complex engineering design—to which Lindsayca already had prior, unrestricted access as the existing GTE contractor—multiple sources claim that at least two of the competing companies submitted formal written requests seeking standard timeline extensions to prepare competitive bids. Those requests were rejected, according to individuals familiar with the correspondence.

In what appears to be a push to award additional, higher-priced work to the delayed contractor exposes a stark contradiction in the administration’s public messaging regarding project cost overruns.

In a recent press conference, President Irfaan Ali denied that the government was negotiating a massive new payout to the contractor. Ali publicly insisted there was “no discussion” underway regarding granting additional funds to Lindsayca to complete the facility.

However, financial analysts and internal sources suggest the task force is using the new storage tank contract as a strategic workaround. “By boxing out competitors who requested standard extensions, the government is positioned to award a new, premium-priced contract to Lindsayca effectively injecting the demanded capital through the backdoor of a separate procurement process without amending the original delayed contract,” a source close to government explained.

The standoff places the government at a familiar geopolitical and commercial crossroad. For the NGL storage tanks, the administration once again faces a stark binary: award the contract to a lower-cost Chinese firm with a track record of executing heavy civil infrastructure in Guyana, or select Lindsayca, an expensive contractor that has not only missed delivery targets but has already dragged the government before a Dispute Adjudication and Avoidance Board (DAAB) to fight for cost-overrun claims. The continued institutional backing of the Venezuelan-American contractor also raises questions.

Delays on the GTE plant have forced Guyana to rely on rented, heavy-fuel Turkish powerships at an estimated cost of roughly GUY $126 million a day. With the national grid still tethered to heavy fuel oil, consumers continue to face recurring blackouts and pump shortages whenever supply chains tighten.

Further complicating the procurement process is the methodology used to justify the latest tank award. According to recent reports and internal documents, the GTE taskforce relied on the artificial intelligence programme Claude to assist in drafting project evaluations. The resulting documentation provided the technical rationalisation to recommend Lindsayca, despite its pricing coming in substantially higher than the competing Chinese offer.

The decision to expand Lindsayca’s scope comes as the company seeks a massive capital injection. Sources said the company recently wrote to both the Guyanese government and the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown, to request more than $120 million in additional funds to complete its existing obligations.

While officials have assured the public that the GTE facility will deliver power to the grid by December, Lindsayca has reportedly acknowledged internally and to the U.S. Embassy that a December delivery is unachievable.

Sources said internal project schedules show that the earliest the facility might conduct isolated test fires is January, 2027. Meanwhile, delivery of stable power to the national grid is not anticipated until the second quarter of 2027 at the earliest.

It was reported that 12 bids were opened for the NGL storage and offloading facility and pipeline. These included: China National Machinery Import & Export Co. (JV) SINOPECNANJING Engineering and Construction Inc. (China); ISI ANDINA Corp S.A (Panama) (joint venture with) ESGCOL Guyana Inc.; Worley Inc. (Huston) joint venture with Viridian Energy Ltd (UK); Persaud Engineering and Hydraulic Services; BK International Inc.; Kent Huston Offshore Engineering LLC (joint venture with) Environmental Engineering Solutions Inc.; JEREH HENGRI Engineering and Technology Company Ltd (China); China Camc Engineering Company Limited; Kalpataru Projects International Limited (India); China Railway First Group Company Ltd. (joint venture with) China Petroleum Engineering and Construction; ALYA CONSTRUTORA S.A (Brasil); and Baywood Continental Limited (Nigeria).

Kaieteur News reported that in its request for pre-qualification advertisement, the Office of the Prime Minister stated that the facilities are required by the GoG to enhance the capacity for safe storage, efficient operations, marine offloading capabilities and effective distribution and marketing of NGLS, both domestically and internationally.

“The NGL storage and offloading project is planned for development within and /or near the Wales Industrial Zone approximately 25 km inland from the mouth of the Demerara River on the West Bank adjacent to the Phase I Power Plant currently under construction, and’ or on the East Bank of Demerara River at Garden of Eden. The Gas-to-Energy (GTE) Phase I project includes a Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) fractionation plant to extract liquids (C3, C4, C5+) and provides limited storage,” the document explained.

The document further detailed that the facility should be able to receive and store sufficient volume of NGLs to allow for no disruption in the phase I plant and to optimise batch offloading to marine vessels. “The production rate from phase I is anticipated to be approximately 4,200 bbls per day of NGLs. The facilities should be sufficiently flexible to accommodate, with modifications, additional future NGLs anticipated from potential future NGL production facilities,” the OPM stated.

Source: Kaieteur News

(Reuters) – Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani military chiefs were due to discuss support for Saudi Arabia as it faces mounting attacks from ​Yemen’s Houthis, while restrictions on flights to and from Iran widened and a senior Iranian official threatened retaliation.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have stepped up attacks on ‌the Saudi-backed government in Yemen and fired into Saudi Arabia, disrupting oil flows from the world’s largest crude exporter as the wider Middle East war enters its eighth month.

With fighting escalating in Yemen, ceasefire efforts stalled and direct U.S-Iranian fire easing, Washington has shifted to tightening economic pressure through secondary sanctions on foreign companies that do business with Iranian firms.

Iran-aligned Houthi fighters move next to a destroyed vehicle following what the source described as an attack on Saudi-backed forces in the location given by the source as al Jawf governorate, Yemen, in this screengrab taken from a video released by Houthi Military Media on 15th September, 2026. HOUTHI MILITARY MEDIA/Handout via REUTERS

Iranian airlines were barred from neighbouring countries including the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Iraq ​in response to new U.S. sanctions, marking the first major impact of the move.

A prolonged flight ban could deepen Iran’s isolation and worsen an economic crisis already aggravated ​by a U.S. blockade of its seaports.

Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, accused regional countries of “alignment with America” for blocking flights.

“If ⁠Iran does not have the possibility to fly and receive airport services, then no country in the region will have this possibility either,” he said in a social media post.

OIL ​EXPORTS SQUEEZED

The war, triggered by U.S-Israeli strikes on Iran on 28^th  February, has killed thousands of people and disrupted trade and energy supplies across the region.

While the fighting between the U.S. ​and Iran has been stop-start, Iranian allies have mobilised, with Hezbollah attacks triggering an Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the Houthi advance in Yemen prompting a new humanitarian crisis.

Iran and its allies have significantly squeezed oil exports from Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally. The Houthis have disrupted ship traffic at the mouth of the Red Sea, while Iran has limited tanker traffic at the Strait of Hormuz, once the route for about ​a fifth of global oil exports.

The Houthis said on Thursday they had fired dozens of missiles and drones at Saudi targets, while Saudi authorities said they intercepted six ballistic missiles.

Rashid al-Alimi, ​the Riyadh-based president of Yemen’s Saudi-backed government, called on Yemenis on Friday to mobilise and join the armed forces and offered an amnesty to Houthi fighters who leave the group.

Amid the fighting, the Saudi, Pakistani Turkish foreign ⁠ministers met on Thursday for discussions on support for the kingdom under a defence pact signed in August.

Turkey’s defence ministry said Chief of General Staff General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu was travelling to Saudi Arabia on Friday to meet his Saudi and Pakistani counterparts.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said the pact, under which an attack against one country is considered an attack on all, could lead to intelligence, logistical or ammunition support.

“More advanced military support could also be considered depending on the scale of the threat,” Erdogan said in written responses to Newsweek.

The diplomatic pressure has also extended to ​China, Iran’s biggest trading partner and a ​key buyer of its oil.

U.S. Ambassador to ⁠China David Perdue said on Friday that President Donald Trump had reiterated to Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House that any Chinese assistance to Iran would be unacceptable.

“We made it very clear to them weeks ago that any help that they would give Iran, whether ​it be direct or indirect, whether it be intelligence or parts or military equipment, was totally unacceptable,” Perdue told CNBC.

SHUTTLE DIPLOMACY IN ​NEW YORK

In New York, ⁠Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told reporters on Thursday that Tehran had conveyed a proposal to the U.S. via intermediaries under which the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened if Tehran’s conditions were met.

Oil prices were more than 2.5% lower on Friday as hopes for a U.S-Iran truce outweighed concerns that escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia could further disrupt supplies.

Under Iran’s proposal, hostilities would end ⁠on all ​fronts, including Lebanon, within seven days. The U.S. would lift its blockade on Iranian ports, release Iran’s frozen ​funds and waive its oil sanctions, he said.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Friday that Tehran will show no flexibility over its nuclear programme even if the United States accepts its proposal.

Source: Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – President Irfaan Ali says bids submitted for the salvage of the MV Barima are still being re-evaluated, as the government moves to select a company to recover the vessel.

The president made the disclosure Thursday evening during a meeting with members of the Guyanese diaspora in New York.

The MV Barima sank on 18^th July while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma. The tragedy claimed 73 confirmed lives, while dozens of others remain missing. The vessel is still on the seabed off the Essequibo Coast.

“The technical people are re-evaluating those bids so that the company can be selected to do the salvaging,” the president said.

President Ali addressing the Guyanese diaspora in New York on Thursday.

Three companies submitted bids for the salvage operation after nine firms submitted Expressions of Interest.

The bidders are local companies BK International Inc. and Industrial Fabrications Inc. (InFab), along with Netherlands-based KMS B.V.

The bids opened earlier this month show BK International submitted the lowest offer at US$1.034 million, followed by InFab at US$1.895 million and KMS B.V. at US$2.035 million.

The bids are now being evaluated before the government selects a contractor.

Meanwhile, the Guyanese leader pushed back against any suggestion that the government is trying to avoid recovering the vessel or investigating the tragedy.

“We are not hiding from salvaging; there is a process and that process is ongoing. We are not hiding from investigation,” he said.

The salvage operation is also expected to be important to the Commission of Inquiry established to investigate the circumstances surrounding the sinking and loss of life. The terms for the salvage require the contractor to preserve forensic evidence that could assist the commission.

Ali said the government would not interfere with the work of the commission.

“I am not going to interfere in the work of the COI,” he said.

Source: Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh on Friday made it clear that the government will enforce strict contract management to ensure contractors deliver projects on time and on budget and will institute liquidated damages against companies that fail to meet contractual obligations.

He said, “the president and cabinet have taken a firm position as it relates to ensuring contractual compliance, that the contracts that we have with those who are providing goods and services are executed on time, in keeping with the specifications that are outlined in them and in keeping with the costs reflected in the contract and so stronger contract and project management are very much a priority for us and enforcement.”

In keeping with this stance, he said, “the cabinet is taking a firm position on the enforcement of liquidated damages in the event that you have time overruns.”

Ongoing construction activities at the Monkey Mountain Airstrip in Region Eight.

Dr. Singh noted that majority of government projects are completed on time, lauding his cabinet colleagues for supervising these works. He however acknowledged that there are instances where projects exceed their estimated deadlines.

As such, he explained, “The cabinet has taken a position that we must enforce and we will enforce the provisions as they relate to liquidated damages, to ensure that we have timely completion, unless, obviously, there are strong and compelling, extenuating or justifying circumstances.”

He said the directive regarding the enforcement of liquidated damages come directly from President Irfaan Ali who has instructed all ministers in his cabinet to ensure the respective permanent secretaries enforce these measures in contracts, particularly in relation to timely completion.

The announcement by the finance minister comes on the heels of a comment by the Prime Minister, Mark Phillips that the administration has not yet determined whether the contractor executing the country’s largest financial project in history- the Wales Gas-to-Energy development- will be slapped with penalties for failing to meet yet another deadline- by the end of 2026.

Lindsayca Guyana Inc., the company that was initially awarded a US759 million contract by the GoG to deliver 300 megawatts (MW) of electricity by the end of 2024 has failed consistently to meet promised deadlines with the project now expected to deliver a fraction of power by the end of 2026.

The delays have resulted in multimillion US-dollars losses for Guyana as the country’s rapid expansion continues to demand increased electricity supply.

While the company pushes to meet another deadline, the GoG could not definitively say whether the contractor will face any penalties if it fails again to deliver power to the country by the end of the year.

During a recent press conference, Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar said, “At the end of the year, myself and the Prime Minister have gotten the commitment from Lindsayca, the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) contractor that we will get one of the turbines that will generate 57MW of power.”

As such, Kaieteur News questioned government officials to say whether Lindsayca could face penalities for failing to meet the yearend deadline.

To this end, Prime Minister Mark Phillips explained, “We’re taking things one step at a time. We had a meeting with Lindsayca and we left the meeting with the assurance that they would reach the deadline for simple-cycle power in December 2026. Let’s give them an opportunity to deliver. When we reach that point we’ll determine the next step.”

Kaieteur News reported that the two-year delay of the Wales GTE project is expected to cost the country approximately US$884M or more than the initial cost of the two gas plants currently under construction.

Source: Kaieteur News

Cricinfo – West Indies’ players are set to endure a pay cut, with Cricket West Indies (CWI) announcing a 25% reduction in retainer fees as part of a wide-ranging series of steps being undertaken in what the board has termed “a comprehensive counterattack against all the challenges we face financially, developmentally and competitively”. While international players will remain on 12-month contracts, domestic players will now be on retainer contracts reduced to seven months.

West Indies has been at the forefront of a global trend towards players rejecting central contracts in order to pursue careers as T20 franchise freelancers. CWI’s latest move seems likely to accelerate this trend.

“We appreciate the spirit of cooperation of the West Indies Players’ Association and the players who have demonstrated their understanding of the circumstances we all face,” CWI chief executive Chris Dehring said in a statement. “While not ideal, it is a necessary step towards financial stability.”

West Indies’ international players are set for a 25% reduction in their retainer fees.  (ICC/Getty Images)

Dehring also announced a restructuring of domestic tournaments in the Caribbean, with this year’s editions of the men’s Super50 tournament and the women’s T20 Blaze suspended. CWI has cited operational costs as the primary reason behind that decision.

“Our domestic tournaments as structured historically, where Cricket West Indies bears the entire cost of every national team and tournament – whether it is age-group, development or senior for both men and women – including salaries, match fees, airfares, hotels and event staging costs, are simply unsustainable,” he said. “The high cost of domestic travel and accommodation absorbs too much of our scarce resources every year instead of being deployed for the direct benefit of our cricket.

“Indeed, over eighty million US dollars has been spent by Cricket West Indies with domestic airlines over the past 15 years, without a reciprocating dollar of sponsorship from those beneficiaries. We must also deal with the immediate cash crunch brought about by years of bearing this burden and the crippling financial losses that emanate as a result.”

Some of CWI’s financial pressures, Dehring said, also stemmed from the terms of an ICC loan to the board.

“In July of this year the ICC approved a loan facility to Cricket West Indies totaling US$16 million to provide temporary relief to our chronic cashflow challenge, available in 3 tranches over the next year,” the statement said. “As with any other lender, this loan comes with terms of repayment and conditions that will require Cricket West Indies to attain critical metrics in order to access those funds starting this month.”

The Super50 tournament was a crucial step in the pipeline to the West Indies men’s ODI team.  (Cricket West Indies)

With the Super50 tournament suspended, a crucial step in the pipeline to the West Indies men’s ODI team has now been lost. West Indies missed out on qualification for the last ODI World Cup in 2023, and are due to take part in a qualifier, in February-March 2027, for next year’s edition. CWI has announced that it will focus on preparing the ODI players for the World Cup qualifiers by arranging a series of white-ball matches against a visiting England A team in November, followed by an ODI team camp.

West Indies’ unique position in global cricket – as a composite team of independent nation-states – is set to be put to test over the next two years, with individual nations set to send teams to the Pan American Games in Lima next year and to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028. The top-four finishers from the 2025-26 Super50 tournament have been announced as the qualifiers for the men’s event at the Pan American Games – though that will be a T20 rather than 50-overs tournament – and the top-four finishers from the 2025-26 T20 Blaze will take part in the women’s event.

In place of the suspended Super50 and T20 Blaze, CWI has announced qualification tournaments for the men’s and women’s events at the 2028 LA Olympics. The costs for these tournaments will be borne by the cricket boards of the individual nations.

“These replacement tournaments will be by invitation to the 10 countries under the aegis of Cricket West Indies that qualify for Olympic participation,” Dehring said. “We are excited by these new invitational tournaments, the dates for which are being finalized, as given the higher stakes and prestige, it’s an opportunity for individual countries to galvanize national resources to chase Olympic glory, with the responsibility and cost of participation falling on their respective national cricket & Olympic associations, private sectors, governments and people, hopefully fulfilling a desire to make a meaningfully contribution to their national team’s hunt for Olympic Glory.

“The winners of those tournaments will qualify for the ICC Olympic Qualifying tournaments for a spot in Los Angeles in 2028.”

Next year’s edition of the Women’s Super50, meanwhile, will be replaced by a Best vs Best development tournament. The West Indies Championship, the four-day domestic tournament, will continue with the bilateral-series, 12-game format that was followed in 2025-26. Each team played just one bilateral series of three games with one opponent, with the top three teams on a composite table qualifying for the playoffs.

Source: Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – The Linden Mayor and Town Council is calling for an investigation into Town Clerk Lennox Gasper over a letter in which he allegedly represented himself as the council’s nominee to the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) Planning Board.

According to a statement issued by the council, the move was made without the approval of the municipality.

The council said it was addressing the public over “a serious matter” involving correspondence issued to the CH&PA regarding representation on its planning board.

Town Clerk of Linden Mayor and Town Council, Lennox Gasper

The council said it had taken note of correspondence dated 14^th August, 2026, in which Gasper informed the secretary of the CH&PA that the Linden Mayor and Town Council, at its statutory meeting on  5^th August, 2026, had decided that he would serve as the council’s representative on the CH&PA Planning Board.

However, the council said it has no knowledge of making such a decision at that meeting.

The development has raised concerns within the council about the circumstances under which the correspondence was issued and whether it accurately represented an official decision of the municipality.

The council described the matter as serious and unprecedented, particularly since the correspondence to a statutory authority appears to attribute a decision to the elected council which, according to the council, was never made.

The administration has since formally asked the Local Government Commission to place Gasper on administrative leave pending a formal and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the correspondence.

The council stressed that decisions must be made through the proper process, accurately recorded and faithfully communicated.

“No individual officer should represent to a statutory authority that the council has taken a decision when the council has not done so,” the council said, adding that any further administrative or disciplinary action should follow the outcome of the investigation and applicable procedures.

The statement also noted that each councillor has provided written endorsement in support of the recommendations submitted to the Local Government Commission.

Source: Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – November 14 and 15 will mark the second round of the highly anticipated Need for Speed Karting Championship, where drivers will get closer to the glory and cash prizes on offer.

Round two shifts to the South Dakota circuit for a traditional racing venue and atmosphere, which is expected to feature more action for the classes on show.

A spokesperson for the Jumbo Jet Events team, the organizers of the series, contended that they have been looking forward to putting on round two for fans.

“The Jumbo Jet Events family has been putting in a lot of work ahead of round two of the Need for Speed Karting Championship. Fans and supporters of the Jumbo Jet family have become accustomed to a brand of sport that exceeds traditional standards and round two will be no different.”

The Need for Speed Karting championship round two set for South Dakota Circuit on November 15.

Already, we have been in talks with several promoters to ensure a world-class viewing area for the fans who are going to witness some of the best racing action.”

Meanwhile, racers are competing for More than GYD$17 million in prize money, which will be up for grabs across several categories, a historic first in Karting locally.

Round two will feature the LO206 Briggs & Stratton Light, Heavy, Junior and Cadet classes, along with Honda GX200, IAME 125cc, LO206 Rookie Over-35, LO206 Female, Supermoto Senior and Supermoto Junior divisions.

The headline LO206 Briggs & Stratton Light class offers a GYD$4 million (USD$20,000) winner’s purse, making it one of the richest karting class prizes contested in Guyana.

Several other categories offer GYD$2 million (USD$10,000) to their winners, while prizes in the remaining divisions will range from GYD$1 million to GYD$1.5 million.

Veteran racers will also be back in action with a Pro Drivers category for competitors aged 50 and over. The winner of that class will take home GYD$2 million (USD$10,000).

Tyre regulations have also been established for the various categories. Most classes will compete on MG Red tires, while competitors in the IAME 125cc class will use MG Yellow tires.

The race weekend gets underway on Saturday with Qualifying for all classes, while Sunday’s race day begins at 10:00 a.m.

The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport supports the event along with Jumbo Jet, XCMG and Synotruck.

Source: Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – Oil and gas companies in the first six months of 2026 spent approximately US$466.2M to procure goods and services in the sectors prioritised for greater Guyanese participation.

During the same period last year, it was reported that US$352 million was spent on the procurement of goods and services in these sectors.

The mid-year report published by the Ministry of Finance noted that in addition to the increased spending, another 500 Guyanese businesses registered with the local content secretariat in the first half of the year.

Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh

The document also explained that during the period, an online portal was launched to reduce the processing times for approval of new applications and renewals for local content certification. “The processing time for new applications from wholly-owned Guyanese companies and business partnerships is now within 15 working days and renewals are within 10 working days. For other firms, new applications are completed within 21 working days, and renewals are processed within 15 working days,” the government stated.

In a previous report, Kaieteur News highlighted that GoG revealed that it is reviewing an additional 20 areas for Guyanese to participate in the rapidly expanding oil and gas sector.

If approved, this will cement opportunities in a total of 60 specified areas in the industry for citizens.

The mid-year report states, “stakeholder engagements for the revision of its first schedule continued, resulting in an additional 20 areas identified for consideration, potentially for inclusion in the first schedule under goods and services.”

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. President of ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), Alistair Routledge said oil and gas companies spent more than US$3.6B in local companies since operations commenced in 2019.

He said, “Collectively the industry has spent over US$3.6B in local companies. These are significant numbers and significant contributions, but in the theme of going beyond frontiers our ambition continues to be higher than that.”

To this end, Routledge noted that a lot more is still to be done where partnering with local companies is concerned. “This is tremendous progress by any metric in any other country but we believe that there is a lot more we can do and so the collaboration as we continue to move forward and the discussions at the (2027 Guyana Energy) conference will be incredibly important to ensure that we can continue to do that,” the Country Manager added. Already, more than 2000 local vendors have been registered to benefit from local content opportunities.

Source: Kaieteur News

The Audit Office of Guyana has stepped up its effort to strengthen its capacity to scrutinise the burgeoning oil and gas sector, with Auditor General (AG) Deodat Sharma disclosing that previous efforts to secure funding for related initiatives have failed to materialise.

Sharma made these remarks on Friday after he handed over the 2025 AG Report to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, in the Parliament Chambers. The AG’s office is responsible for conducting annual audits of public accounts, financial transactions or operations and financial statements.

Last year, Sharma indicated that he was working on establishing an oil and gas section within the Audit Office to monitor the local oil and gas industry. However, the AG told reporters on Friday that these efforts were thwarted by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in the previous parliament.

“I did send to the [last] PAC, which is responsible for our budget, and it was rejected. But as soon as the new PAC comes, I’ll send [the proposal] back to strengthen the Audit Office… So, we will be building our capacity in terms of the oil and gas sector, and it will go to the Public Accounts Committee for approval shortly, as soon as they are reconstituted,” he noted.

According to Sharma, “Just like we have a forensic audit section and a performance audit section, we’re going to ask for a specialised oil and gas sector section… What we will be doing is beefing up a separate unit for the oil and gas sector.”

Currently, at least one person in the AG’s office has upskilled themselves and obtained a doctorate in oil and gas auditing. Last September, the AG noted that there were fewer than a handful of officers who are equipped to tackle the oil and gas sector. In fact, he stated that while the then PAC had underscored the need to increase this number, it rejected a proposal from the Office to increase the complement of specialised auditors to around eight or nine.

Nevertheless, the Audit Office continues to work with regional and international stakeholders, such as the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), to strengthen its capacity.

In addition to attending several meetings on auditing the extractive industries, officers were also trained by oil and gas audit experts from Uganda and Rwanda. In the meantime, the Audit Office is also monitoring the various state agencies that have direct oversight of the operations within the local oil and gas sector.

“My office cannot [scrutinise] what is happening out there [offshore] because I would need more engineers, legal personnel, etc. to do that. So, what we have been doing is auditing the entities like the Natural Resource Fund, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), and the [Guyana] Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) etc, that are responsible for coordinating what is happening out there. And the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), which grants all the tax exemptions, we do audit those aspects of it,” Sharma stated.

Over the years, the Guyana Government has been outsourcing experts, both local and overseas, to audit the expenses of ExxonMobil, the United States (US)-based company that is leading oil production operations in the offshore Stabroek Block.

Thus far, three cost oil audits have been conducted. The hired firms were expected to work alongside the Audit Office, training local officers on how they conduct their work and compile their reports.

But according to AG Sharma, this is yet to be done.

Only a few months ago, Guyana’s growing capacity to perform its own cost oil audits and audits in other extractive sectors was highlighted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which called for more work to be done.

“The authorities are encouraged to continue strengthening audit capacity, especially in the oil and gas sector,” the IMF said in its 2026 Article IV Mission concluding statement back in July.

But even as the Audit Office works on establishing a specialised department to monitor the local oil and gas sector, the agency is operating in a rapidly growing economy in which the state now has more resources to inject into larger projects.

Citing the fact that the national budget has moved from approximately $383.1 billion in 2021 to a staggering $1.558 trillion in 2026, AG Sharma says his office is also enhancing capacity to keep up with these changes, including increasing engineers in the Works and Structure Department.

“Our office continues its training and capacity building. Investing in training ensures that the Audit Office remains resilient, adaptive, and capable of delivering independent oversight that supports good governance… by equipping our auditors with up-to-date knowledge of international standards, modern auditing techniques, and emerging areas such as digital auditing, performance auditing, and a risk-based approach…the office can enhance both the quality and credibility of its work,” he noted.

Additionally, the existing audit work programme was reviewed with the aim of ensuring that the office remains responsive to the current environment.

The 2025 AG Report will be tabled in the National Assembly when it returns from recess in October.

Source: INews Guyana

Sachia Vickery

(Kaieteur News) – Guyana’s Sachia Vickery is through to the women’s singles semifinals at the 2026 South American Games after defeating Chile’s Antonia Vegara 6–2, 3–6, 6–4 in a hard-fought quarterfinal.

The result marks an exciting start to Vickery’s journey representing Guyana as she pursues qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

A player with Grand Slam experience and a career-high world singles ranking of No. 73, Vickery brings proven quality and determination to Team Guyana.

Source: Kaieteur News