Audit Office seeks 12 oil and gas experts to strengthen petroleum audits

The Auditor General’s Office is seeking approval to create 12 new positions for oil and gas specialists as part of efforts to strengthen the state’s capacity to audit the petroleum sector.
The proposal will be returned to Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for a second review, with the office expressing optimism that the plan could be approved later this year.

During consideration of estimates and expenditures for the 2026 National Budget on Monday, lawmakers were told that PAC approval is required before the Auditor General’s Office can formally establish and operationalise its proposed oil and gas unit.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Gail Teixeira, responding to questions from opposition members, said the creation of the new posts must follow parliamentary oversight procedures.

“The new unit of oil and gas which the Auditor General has identified makes up 12 new positions that will be created… and that would have to be approved by the PAC first and then they would be able to fill the position,” Teixeira said.
Auditor General Deodat Sharma has previously said the audit office needs to expand its technical capacity, noting that fewer than five qualified oil and gas specialists are currently employed by the agency.

The PAC had earlier rejected an initial proposal, suggesting that the office double the number of oil experts requested.
Since oil production began, the government has relied on local and international consultants to audit petroleum-related expenses.

Sharma said that while his office does not directly audit oil companies, it audits agencies involved in regulating and managing the sector, including the Guyana Revenue Authority and the Environmental Protection Agency.