Establishment of a Development Office
To implement the policy, a Local Content Development Office – specifically for the offshore industry in this case – must be set up, for example initially at the State Oil Company. This office must be well-equipped and have a thorough understanding of the requirements and standards of the multinationals, as well as the local constraints and gaps. To this end, the LCDO must conduct a “gap analysis”; in this analysis, the supply chain in various stages of exploitation (goods and services, volumes, quality requirements, standards, etc.) is compared against the potential and potential of Surinamese companies and institutions. Subsequently, a step-by-step plan is implemented to elevate companies to the level where they attain the status of “approved vendor”, meaning these companies can compete in open tenders.
This will result in increased and improved skills of individuals and companies, thus leading to a steady growth in the share of local content in the supply chain. This will result in increased and improved skills of individuals and companies, thus leading to a steady growth in the share of local content in the supply chain. During the aforementioned process, there must be regular consultations between the Local Content Development Office and the multinationals to review the policy, to be aware of each other’s expectations and capabilities, and explore possibilities for technology transfer through aid, investments, licenses, trade, and/or training.
In collaboration with industry, regulatory bodies in the academic sector, and training institutes, a transparent plan must be formulated to review and reform local training programs, equipment, and training facilities to make them suitable. To this end, it is crucial to form alliances, joint ventures, and partnerships between Surinamese individuals and foreign operators or suppliers, as well as with foreign offshore training institutes.
Possibly, a capacity development fund (at the National Development Bank) can be utilized for structural education and support of business development and capacity building. In the phase where the exploitation preparation currently stands, it is expected that subsequently the sectors of construction, general business services, and finally engineering will be required; LCDO must align its plan accordingly.