…Gov’t insists full release of Exxon contract has wide implications
MINISTER of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman said government has been advised by external advisors and lawyers that it should not release the full contract with United States (U.S.) oil giant, Exxon Mobil, noting that a number of extenuating and external issues are being attended to, some of which have foreign affairs, sovereignty and national security implications.
Trotman made the comments even as Petroleum Advisor to the President Dr Jan Mangal said that as an emerging oil and gas country, Guyana needs to place significant emphasis on transparency. Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, the expert who has over 18 years’ experience in the sector noted that Guyana is on the verge of an economic transformation and though success cannot be guaranteed, he believes transparency will aid in success. “Oil and gas, or any resource…we cannot assume that it will work for the benefit of the people; it doesn’t just happen by chance,” he said citing the example of West Africa. He believes the key ingredients to Guyana’s success, though there is no guarantee is transparency and capacity. “It has been proven over and over again that in a resource sector, the exploitation of resources, transparency is paramount and it is ultimately the people’s resource so they need to be confident and to trust their government, trust that their government is acting on their behalf,” Dr Mangal told the media.
See more here: https://guyanachronicle.com/2017/11/09/cant-bare-all