Civil Society: Access to Information Protest — Report # 1
On Friday, March 29, 2025, citizens, media workers, civil society actors, trade unionists, and Members of Parliament gathered outside the Office of the Commissioner of Information at 330 East Street, between Middle and Quamina Streets, Georgetown. The protest centered on the office’s non-functioning state, its failure to comply with the Access to Information Act (2011),…
The Tax Certificate mystery
Introduction The controversy over tax certificates issued to oil companies continues unabated. On March 17, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance responded to the Oil and Gas Governance Network’s information request by suggesting that tax details could be found in Commercial Registry filings – a claim I discredited in my March 21 column as…
Spell out a transparent oil Treaty for USA protection from Venezuela
Let’s face facts. Might is ultimately right in our world. Sure, we have progressed to behaving more civilly with each other when the stakes are relatively low. However, there are no holds barred when the stakes are high. The new administration in the USA seems to get to the greedy point with fewer…
Questions for AG on conflict between 2016 PSA and NRF Act (2021) on tax payments on behalf of oil companies
Since February 16, 2025, the Sunday Stabroek has published a series of weekly letters by the Oil and Gas Governance Network Guyana (OGGN) querying the questionable tax practices by oil companies and urging the Government of Guyana, its ministers, and public servants to answer questions regarding the flow of oil-related tax payments. Under the 2016…
Teixeira failed to address some core issues such as free access to information raised in OGGN’s letter
Reference is made to a press release dated March 17, 2025, issued by the Department of Information, titled “Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Responds to OGGN.” Minister Gail Teixeira was responding to a letter from the Oil and Gas Governance Network (OGGN) Guyana, titled “Minister Teixeira Must Address UN Concerns on Access to Information…
The Ministry of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs has it all wrong
Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana Must Become Oil-Minded -Column 154 Introduction By its very name, the Ministry of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs should defend and advance democracy, promote and ensure transparency, and strengthen and enforce accountability. Regrettably, the Ministry, in pursuit of the party’s agenda, is increasingly a convenient vehicle for political deflection…
Minister Teixeira must address UN concerns on Access to Information Act
In a series of letters published in the Sunday editions of Stabroek News (February 16 & 23, March 2 & 9, 2025), the Oil and Gas Governance Network Guyana (OGGN) informed the Guyanese public about questionable tax practices of ExxonMobil and its partners—Hess Corporation and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC)—and raised concerns about the…
Finance Ministry must confirm whether it has provided relevant data on oil taxes for EITI reports
Guyana became a member of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) on October 25, 2017. Since then, the country has been expected to adhere to EITI standards by disclosing key financial data related to its extractive industries. The Oil and Gas Governance Network Guyana (OGGN) has consistently raised concerns about the lack of transparency regarding…
The Information Blackout: Oil Transparency and the Failure of Access to Information in Guyana
Introduction Guyana’s Constitution identifies access to information as a right – not a privilege. Yet, for a decade and more since the Access to Information Act was passed in 2011, this right has been treated with contempt. The Office of the Commissioner of Information’s ongoing obstructionism reflects more than a question of competence – it…