How oil can place our democracy at grave risk

Guyanese should understand the goal of the oil and gas contractors: drill, extract and burn all the oil and gas resources it can acquire whenever it can in a game to balance the demand and supply globally. Guyana is just a small fish in this big pond and this is why we must always put our best foot forward in these relations with the oil contractors. But unfortunately, rather than looking after Guyana’s interest, Minister Raphael Trotman has proven himself to be one who is more interested in being the greatest helper for the contractors rather than his country. This very act is anti-national and anti-patriotic and in some countries is tantamount to treason.
It is no accident that in 2016, Trotman’s negotiated contract was designed for the contractors with its two per cent royalty, no tax payments and all sorts of “giveaways” of the people’s patrimony. With vast resources at its disposal, the contractors have strategically spent their funds to garner, and maintain favourable political treatment locally, even if it means paying a local politician US$2 million into his personal slush funds as sweetener fees. The fact remains these oil and gas resources belong to the people; not the politicians.  While the oil and gas fever is high in Guyana, none of that heat will benefit the people.  Only a selected few that are closely connected to the Granger Government are in for Granger’s “good life”.

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