We are shaped under the pretext of local content
DEAR EDITOR,
Kaieteur News – On the heels of a local company being advised that it cannot bid for supply of PPE to Exxon because it has no experience another shock came from Exxon’s director for its Local Business Development Center, (CLBD,) Natasha Gaskin-Peters. Gaskin-Peters would have us believe that when oil companies procure goods from a local company – “if they import them, that doesn’t really include local.” Really! If we are not allowed to import goods and supply to the oil company for a few chips and cheese, we may also throw away the whole “local content concept” where we are not producing anything at the level manufacturing needs of the oil companies. – not even gum for the oil worker to chew for boredom. If you need experience buying and delivering PPE to Exxon, you can imagine what it will take to build or fabricate anything for them. Exxon is always looking to pay local workers cheaper than foreign workers for jobs with the same job description, so we’re screwed in the jobs section as well. Why should we allow this charade to wear “local content” on the window because it is the norm in all oil producing countries? Why don’t we just throw local content out the window?
I cannot understand Gaskin-Peters’ concern or concept about leaks. If you do not produce something but buy it from abroad and sell it to the oil company, making a profit in a transaction that would not have been possible had we not been endowed with oil, I cannot foresee how this is not ” is actually local content. ”(Gaskin-Peters Words).
The name Gaskin-Peters rings a bell. I wonder if she belongs to former APNU + AFC business minister Dominic Gaskin. Dominic Gaskin was quoted in a KN October 4, 2018 article – “Essential elements missing from draft local content policy – IDB.” Speaking of finalizing our local content policy, Gaskin said, “When we undertook the work of finalizing this document, we did not budget for it. It was handed over to us in early 2018 ”, and“ We just don’t have the money ”to pay a consultant.
I get the impression here that his Government did not think it was worthwhile to produce a local content policy but only sought out popular demand. In that article, he said, “Don’t think all foreigners are your enemies. People will go where there are opportunities and we need to start doing the same and be aggressive… ”
This was his advice to aspiring entrepreneurs who wanted a piece of the local content pie. The man was essentially lining the local entrepreneurs to face competition – completely out of the context of a local content policy intent.
It’s ironic that another Gaskin of the opposite sex would try to make a fool of us on the said local content landscape. Is there a sinister connection to Exxon at its core? We are continually lined up to be shaped under the pretext of local content.
Yours respectfully,
Rudolph Singh