With Guyana’s advantaged barrels in the Stabroek Block setting it amongst the elite producers to survive the energy transition, the United States said it wants to leverage its expertise and experience to ensure the new producer is a model State for others.
In particular, U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah Ann-Lynch said the USA is working with Guyanese authorities to ensure the country’s institutional and regulatory mechanisms are well-oiled for the road ahead.
During a recent online podcast called “Plaza Central”, Ambassador Lynch said her country is working with Guyana primarily in the areas of governance, economic development and security.
The envoy said, “(Good) governance is key to Guyana’s success, as such, we are helping Guyana improve transparency and accountability. We have provided assistance from the US Treasury to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to help them audit large contracts and improve their human resourcing efforts. We have also provided support through USAID to help Guyana become a member of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).”
Lynch also noted that Guyana is receiving assistance under the Fulbright Programme, one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programmes. Its goal is to improve intercultural relations, diplomacy, and competence between the people of the United States and other countries. This is achieved through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills. Guyana Standard understands that specialists have been provided to the University of Guyana to assist with the accreditation process for the institution’s engineering programme.
“So we had the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology that we are working with and a FulBrighter to help them,” the Ambassador shared.
She said too that media training has been conducted throughout the year to ensure operatives are asking tough questions.
Beyond the foregoing, Lynch said work is continuing with Guyanese authorities to help them improve elections management as well as in the judiciary to help manage important cases through the digitization of case management.
On the economic front, the envoy said trade missions and similar engagements have been held to highlight the investment opportunities here. She expressed hope that such initiatives would birth partnerships that support the nation’s diversification plans.
She was also keen to note that entrepreneurship training has taken place to ensure youths and especially African women are equipped with the skill sets that would enable them to take advantage of job opportunities in the oil-led economy.
Ambassador Lynch also noted that security remains an issue for US-Guyana relations hence work continues on this front. “We are working to ensure Guyana obtains certain assets to address transnational crime and improve border security including the maritime area. We do a lot of training and joint exercises with them including the Caribbean Trade Winds Exercise which brings militaries from the region and friendly nations to do a lot of specialized military training. And we have also provided oil spill training to the Coast Guard,” expressed the envoy.
She said the foregoing are but a few of the ways in which the US is partnering to ensure Guyana is a model State. “It is important to us because this is our neighbourhood and so the success of Guyana is ours. We hope to have an even better partnership with Guyana in the future,” the Ambassador concluded.
