Our Mandate

The Agency’s mandate is stated in the provisions of the Guyana Energy Agency Act 1997, Guyana Energy Agency (Amendment) Act 2004, Guyana Energy Agency (Amendment) Act 2005 and the Petroleum and Petroleum Products Regulations 2004. The core functions listed in section 5 of the Act are as follows:

  • to advise and to make recommendations to the Minister regarding any measures necessary to secure the efficient management of energy and the source of energy in the public interest and to develop and encourage the development and utilisation of sources of energy other than sources presently in use.
  • to develop a national energy policy and secure its implementation.
  • to carry out research into all sources of energy including those sources presently used in Guyana for the generation of energy, and securing more efficient utilization of energy and sources of energy.
  • to monitor the performance of the energy sector in Guyana, including the production, importation, distribution and utilization of petroleum and petroleum products.
  • to disseminate information relating to energy management, including energy conservation and the development and utilization of alternative sources of energy.
  • to grant and issue licences relating to petroleum and petroleum products, including import licences, wholesale licences, importing wholesale licences, retail licences, bulk transportation carrier licences, storage licences and consumer installation licences.
  • to utilise a marking system to add markers to petroleum and petroleum products imported by every person under an import licence or import wholesale licence for the purpose of identifying such petroleum and petroleum products as having been legitimately imported.
  • to take samples of petroleum and petroleum products from any person at random throughout Guyana and carry out tests and examination to determine the presence or level of the markers in the samples of the petroleum and petroleum products.
  • to perform the necessary tests to determine whether the marker(s) is in the required proportion and any further test necessary to determine whether the petroleum and petroleum products have been lawfully obtained, stored, possessed, offered for sale, blended or mixed with any substance that is not approved.
  • to prosecute in the Magistrates’ Courts persons who are in possession of petroleum and petroleum products bearing no markers or at a concentration below that required.
  • to prosecute in the Magistrates’ Courts persons who import petroleum and petroleum products without an import licence or wholesale import licence.
  • to prosecute in the Magistrates’ Courts persons who purchase, obtain, store, possess, offer for sale, sell, distribute, transport or otherwise deal with illegal petroleum.
    Section 6 of the Act further outlines several advisory functions of the Agency:
  • to study and keep under review matters relating to the exploration for, production, recovery, processing, transmission, transportation, distribution, sale, purchase, exchange and disposal of energy and sources of energy within and outside Guyana.
  • to report thereon to the Minister and recommend to the Minister such measures as the Agency considers necessary or in the public interest for the control, supervision, conservation, use and marketing and development of energy and sources of energy.
  • to prepare studies and reports at the request of the Minister on any matter relating to energy or any source of energy, including research into alternative sources of energy, or the application of such research, and to recommend to the Minister the making of such arrangements as the Agency considers desirable for cooperation with governmental or other agencies in or outside Guyana in respect of matters relating to energy and sources of energy.
  • to advise the Minister or assigned authority on matters relating to the administration and discharge of the functions of the Electricity Sector Reform Act 1999.