Ministry of Natural Resources
Statement on Contract Transparency
Guyana joined the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative in 2017 as a complementary tool to further improve transparency and accountability in the oil and gas and mining sectors. To ensure that the country’s natural resources benefit its citizens fully, Guyana expanded its EITI scope to include fisheries and forestry sectors.
The EITI Standard requires implementing countries to disclose contracts and licenses entered into or amended from 1 January 2021.
In keeping with our transparency mandate and also considering the Access to Information Act 2021 and EITI guidelines, the Ministry of Natural Resources publishes all contracts in the oil and gas and mining sectors. Oil and Gas contracts can be found on the website of the Petroleum Department, while mining contracts are located on the website of the Ministry of Finance. Further, a mining cadastral hosted by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) is available to the public at no cost and provides detailed information on licensing, including location, acreage, date of application, etc.
The Forestry Commission maintains a manual database of forest licenses and permits. The MNR is working with the Ministry of Agriculture to develop an online register of fisheries licenses.
Therefore, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) policy is to grant the public access to all contracts, licenses, and permits in the extractive sector. Notwithstanding, the Ministry reserves the right to withhold certain sensitive information on contracts, licenses, and permits in keeping with the Laws of Guyana.
