Top officials of oil firm ExxonMobil yesterday cautioned against expectations of a large number of direct employment opportunities to be generated by the company’s production activities here, while saying that it will be the government’s responsibility to create jobs using revenue that is earned from the operation.
“There are a lot of misconceptions about local content and hiring,” ExxonMobil Country Manager Jeff Simons told the media yesterday during an update and discussion session on the current status of the company’s Stabroek Block oil venture here.
“The greatest benefit is the revenue stream provided to the country. If job creation is critical, then take some of that money and put it into areas where job creation could be exponential relative to what we are talking about here,” Simons added.