Guide

Local Content Act 2021 requirements

Plain-English guide to the Local Content Act 18 of 2021: plans, half-yearly reports, and the three qualification tests.

What the official sources say

The Local Content Act 18 of 2021 is the statute for local content in petroleum operations. The Local Content Secretariat, inside the Ministry of Natural Resources, monitors it. The Act is not the same document as a Secretariat guideline. Where a guideline figure conflicts with the Act, the enacted text is the one shown in this catalogue, with a verify-with-counsel flag.

The definition of a Guyanese company used in this catalogue has three separate tests: at least 51 percent beneficial ownership or voting, at least 75 percent of executive and senior management, and at least 90 percent of non-managerial positions. They are not averaged, and they are not universal employment quotas for every firm. Section 23 penalty text is on the penalties page. Missing evidence is not, by itself, proof of an offence.

Open the cited source

Checklist

Keep the Act, the First Schedule, and the current guideline as separate versions.
Track the 51, 75, and 90 percent tests as separate evidence items.
Do not treat a schedule example, such as catering at 90 percent, as this company's approved plan target.
Link half-yearly reporting to section 12 and the current guideline.
Flag the guideline's GYD 1,000,000 individual figure against enacted section 23(1).

Questions people ask

What is the difference between the Act and a Secretariat guideline?

The Act is the statute. A guideline is administrative direction under the Act. Guideline version 4 of 13 June 2025 standardises half-yearly reporting. It does not replace section 23 of the Act.

Are 51, 75, and 90 percent hiring targets for every employer?

No. In this catalogue they are the separate qualification tests in the Act's definition of a Guyanese company. They are not a weighted score and not a company-wide employment quota.

Which false-submission fine should I use?

Enacted section 23(1) states GYD 5,000,000 for an individual and GYD 10,000,000 for a body corporate. The June 2025 guideline states GYD 1,000,000 for an individual. The conflict is flagged. Verify with counsel. Do not pick the lower figure silently.

Informational only. This is not legal, tax, or regulatory advice, and it is not a certification or a government publication. A qualified legal reviewer has not been appointed. Confirm the current Act, permit, licence, and guideline before you rely on a date or a figure. PetroMetric does not file reports or applications with any agency. Source snapshot 8 November 2026, America/Guyana. Contact (592) 600-1096 or service@computingcore.net. Contact for pricing.