
Opinion

Insurance and its adequacy (Part 3 final)
Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana Must Become Oil-Minded – Column 129 On 29th December 2023, in a letter to the press, I argued that the Natural Resource Fund was overstated by G$274 BN., the amount of the Corporation Taxes paid by the Government on behalf of the oil companies required under Article 15.4…

Regarding Guyana’s life expectancy forecasts, Dr. Ramsammy should let the professional people provide expert advice
Reference is made to a letter written by Dr. Leslie Ramsammy in response to my letter on the subject of life expectancy in Guyana (SN 5- 30-2024), and I would like to make the following observations. First, in Dr. Ramsammy’s letter he stated that ‘At the moment, Guyana’s life expectancy is approaching 71(years)…’. (and) ……

Unthinking paternalism displayed by the current government towards Guyana’s diverse Amerindian Villages and Communities
Dear Editor, Your editorial ‘Govt and the Indigenous’ (SN 02 June 2024, https://www.stabroeknews.com/2024/06/02/opinion/editorial/govt-and-the-indigenous/) touches on the remarkably unthinking paternalism displayed by the current government towards Guyana’s diverse 200+ Amerindian Villages and Communities. What genuinely caring government would buy a job lot of 200 identical agricultural tractors and attachments and hand them out without considering the range…

Guyana’s welcomed improved life expectancy, as reported by President Ali, is challenged by the absence of critical data
Dear Editor, On the occasion of Guyana’s 58th Independence Anniversary, President Mohamed Irfaan Ali is reported to have said that from 2020 to now (2024), the country’s life expectancy has increased by two years overall to 70 in males, and 74 for females. And that government’s new target is to increase overall life expectancy to…

Song: A Call for Transparency in Guyana’s Petroleum Sector
Verse 1: In the land of Guyana, where the rivers flow freeBeneath the surface lies the oil, a treasure for you and meBut mysteries abound in the royalties we seeIt’s time to lift the veil, bring transparency Chorus: Oh, let the truth shine bright, like the morning sunIn the oil-rich fields, we’re the chosen onesFor…

Song: Slashing the guarantee, oh, what a disgrace
Verse 1: Slashing the guarantee, oh, what a disgraceExxon’s making moves, leaving us in a dark placeParent company’s smile, but it’s just a charadeFull coverage cut, our trust begins to fade Chorus: Oh, stand up, stand strong, don’t let them play their gameProtect our land, don’t let them shift the blameFrom the rivers to the…

Insurance and its adequacy (Part 3 final)
Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana Must Become Oil-Minded – Column 128 Introduction The two previous parts on this subject carried on Tuesday (21st.) and Wednesday (22nd) dealt with the first of two documents published in the Official Gazette a week earlier. These were the Guarantee and Indemnity Agreements by the oil companies with…

Insurance and its adequacy (Part 2)
Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana Must Become Oil-Minded – Column 127 Introduction Yesterday’s column addressed three Guarantee and Indemnity Agreements (GIA) granted by the oil companies to the Environmental Protection Agency. These we are told are to provide some assurance to Guyana that there is money available to deal with any environmental events…

Insurance and its adequacy (Part 1)
The Official Gazette of 11 May 2023 published two documents – a Guarantee and Indemnity Agreement dated 9th June 2023 (GIA) and a Contract of Insurance effective 1st. February 2024. The first deals with the Environmental Obligations of the three Contractors – Exxon, Hess and CNOOC – and the second, with third party insurance taken…

GPL will be paying up to US$50m to Qatari contractor for power ship that will sail off in two years
Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc. has contracted a floating electric power station (‘power ship’) from UCI, a subsidiary of UCC Holding, a Qatari company, to provide additional electricity to Guyana’s electric power grid, which has recently been failing in a spectacular manner resulting in multiple hours-long power blackouts for GPL customers. Regarding the costs…