Remarks as prepared
Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch
Gas to Shore Signing in Ceremony
December 13, 2022
Your Excellency, as you well know, it is my distinct honor to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Guyana. We continue to develop an ever-stronger partnership for the benefit of all, and I am very excited about this groundbreaking announcement that will drastically lower the cost of electricity, unlock new opportunities for economic diversification, and produce significant amounts of cooking gas for citizens.
When I first met with CH4 and Lindsayca, many months ago, I was impressed by their willingness to explore a new market. Throughout the process, they have pushed to provide the best possible engineering solutions while being attentive to the requests of the Government of Guyana – all with an eye to deliver high-quality, reliable infrastructure that will benefit all Guyanese. The companies in the consortium have an excellent track record of delivering projects in other countries, and we are just thrilled to have them in Guyana.
Your Excellency, you asked me, and my team, to bring quality U.S. investors and businesses of all sizes to Guyana. In Washington this past July you said “We want to see more U.S. involvement in this stage of our country’s development.” So, I couldn’t be prouder of my team which has worked so hard – day and night sometimes – with all serious U.S. investors to help them navigate the business world in Guyana. I’m so pleased that we continue to deliver top-notch U.S. businesses that bring quality and excellence to all their products. And, it’s also very rewarding for us that it’s not just us saying this, but also, internationally-recognized expert advisors hired by the Government of Guyana who ranked these U.S. firms as the most technically qualified for this project.
I am also excited to congratulate you on a tender process that was open and fair, and that enlisted the support of international partners. I was also so pleased that you chose to hire a separate firm for oversight of the project, allowing your government and the people of Guyana to know that the work will be done to the highest standards possible.
I think the most exciting thing for me about this Lindsayca/CH4 – Guyana relationship is that it will very likely unlock amazing opportunities for even more U.S. businesses to look at Guyana as a destination for their investments.
While I have the floor, I just want to quickly add my congratulations on another related effort – the sale of carbon credits to U.S. firm Hess. What a major achievement to tangibly make progress on forest preservation! I look forward to the funds providing similar tangible results for Guyanese and especially the indigenous communities across the country.
And, while unrelated to today’s signing ceremony, I have to congratulate the Government of Guyana on increasing wages for the health sector workers and public servants. We know very well that Guyanese are smart, capable professionals who need to be paid fairly for their work. Steps like the one you took yesterday are key to recognizing and retaining talent in Guyana to aide with this rapid economic transformation.
Your Excellency, the U.S. Embassy remains committed to improving the prosperity of Guyana and deepening our already strong relationship. On behalf of the U.S. Embassy and the U.S. Government, I congratulate you once again on choosing an excellent partner for the Gas-to-Energy project. And, we look forward to delivering additional U.S. partners to you soon! Thank you!!
