News Editor

Bhagwandin should tell readers what happens with the gold at the factory floor in the interior

I have taken note of Mr. Joel Bhagwandin’s letter titled, “[Prof] Hunte’s so-called “broken institutions” have little or nothing to do with declining gold production”, and respond as follows: Can Mr Bhagwandin give a short description of the Custom Dept’s check of the operation? A gold processing plant is located on the company’s concession in…

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Bhagwandin misleads when he suggests that the NRF Report has disaggregated data for the EMGL, HESS and CNOOC

I refer to Mr. Joel Bhagwandin’s letter dated 6-17, 2024 in which he claims the information I requested is in the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Report. Not surprisingly, Mr. Bhagwandin’s answer is the usual ‘red herring’, in which he is once again attempting to divert attention away from the real issues I raised in my…

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Stabroek’s junior partner CNOOC makes G$355.7 MN (US$1.7 billlion) on share capital of US$200,000. Yes, Two hundred thousand dollars

Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana Must Become Oil-Minded – Column 131 Today’s column features the financial statements of the Chinese-owned CNOOC which holds a 25% working interest in the Stabroek Block, as a “non-operating joint venture partner”. CNOOC, like its other two partners, is a branch of a company incorporated outside of Guyana…

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Institutions in charge of gold are clearly broken

One of the most valuable non-renewable resources that Guyana has, apart from oil, is gold. The price for an ounce of gold on the World Market (June 16, 2024) is US$2,348.40 (https://www.google.com/search?q=price+of+gold&rlz=1C1ONGR_enUS1113US1113&oq=price+of+g&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCggAEAAYsQMYgAQyCggAEAAYsQMYgAQyCggBEAAYsQMYgAQyBggCEEUYOTINCAMQABiSAxiABBiKBTIHCAQQABiABDIHCAUQABiABDINCAYQABixAxjJAxiABDIHCAcQABiABDIHCAgQA);  and therefore, one pound of gold is US$37,574.40, as compared with a pound of sugar at US 19.35 cents and rice at US 18.15…

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Anyone who places the sanctity of a hugely questionable and lopsided contract above sovereignty is no better than the fool who signed the contract in the first place

Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana Must Become Oil-Minded – Column 130 – June 14, 2024 Exxon’s incredible (and unique) return on Equity Introduction This week’s column features the financial statements of the Guyana branch of ExxonMobil Guyana Limited, a 45% stakeholder, and the designated Operator, in the Stabroek Block. In what was a…

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Royalty discrepancy in EMGL Annual Report

Reference is made to the ExxonMobil Guyana Limited Annual Report 2023 (https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/locations/guyana/annual-report). In that report (Page 36), it is recorded that royalty paid is G$21,922,725,604.00, representing 2 percent of total revenue of G$1,108,897, 727, 566.00 (Table1). However, the royalty paid is not 2 percent of total revenue; instead, it is only 1.977%. The correct royalty…

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Public investment in brackish water shrimpers versus coastal artisanal fishers

Since few government officials respond to questions that are raised in the Press, we must thank Tejnarine Geer, Aquaculture consultant, for information on the brackish water shrimp project in Region 6 (https://www.stabroeknews.com/2024/06/07/opinion/letters/brackish-water-shrimp-project-has-proven-to-be-tremendous-success/). Through your newspaper, I ask Mr Geer some follow-up questions: In 2021, Minister Mustapha informed that ‘$58M [was] being injected to up Region Six…

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