Aurora Gold Mines searches for more local suppliers of goods and services

Last Updated on Monday, 31 October 2016, 21:09 by Denis Chabrol

At a time when there is much talk about the need for Guyanese to be involved directly and indirectly in the country’s oil and gas sector, one of Guyana’s largest gold producers is hoping that local companies will play a major role in providing it with goods and services.

The just concluded INWARD Expo, organised by Aurora Gold Mines, is said to be a new initiative aimed at affording Guyanese companies to supply competitive and high quality goods and services to the company.

Supply Chain Manager Kirk McLellan, who had initiated this type of activity in other countries before,  explained that the forum catered to facilitating one-on-one interaction with vendors and the end users within the company, to ensure that mutual understanding of the needs and constraints on both sides were laid on the table and could be clarified. This was especially true for companies that have never done business with AGM Inc. before, but also for current suppliers as well. “It is great that AGM Inc. used this initiative to show international companies operating here in Guyana that local content could be used (to supply their businesses),” CEO of Global Seafoods Distributors Allison Butters-Grant was quoted in a statement issued by AGM.

She was at the time congratulating AGM Inc. on the successful hosting of their INWARD Expo, a three-day interaction with local businesses to share opportunities for doing business with the gold mining company.

Held at the Tower Suites between October 22nd to 24th, the event attracted the participation of nearly 100 vendors of goods and services who were seeking to supply AGM Inc. with items in several different categories such as mine services, industrial supplies and engineering, food products, cleaning and janitorial services and supplies, equipment and spares, health safety and medical supplies.

AGM said many new partnerships were forged and networking opportunities abounded over the course of the event. Well known businesses such Sol Guyana Inc. and MACORP displayed their products and services before giving private presentations of their products and services. Also participating were small businesses engaged and supported by AGM Inc. through its Corporate Social Responsibility Department, including vendors of fruits and vegetables as well as services such as taxis.

Gafsons representative Narine (only name given) stated that the initiative was a welcomed opportunity for him to share what his company was doing to improve on the services available to all customers, including AGM Inc. “At least at this Expo we were able to explain on a broader scale what we have in store, what our plans are and how we can facilitate AGM Inc. in their quest to expand their mine (company),” he said.

Guyana Goldfields/AGM Inc. has committed to continue to extend its reach into the Guyanese business sector as it looks to satisfy its needs for operating supplies and equipment locally as much as is possible, in keeping with its CSR mandate of being Guyanese businesses’ ‘partner for sustainable development’.

Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman recently announced that legislation would be enacted to provide for local content in the oil and gas sector.

While ExxonMobil has estimated that about 200 mainly foreigners would be employed at the offshore oil rig  to commercially extract oil from 2020/2021, the United States hopes that Guyana will divert some of those oil revenues to infrastructural, social sector and renewable energy projects to create jobs.