Opinion
EMGL’s audit non-responsiveness showcases the government’s unwillingness to protect the interests of the Guyanese people
Recently, it was reported that the auditors appointed by the Government of Guyana to audit the books of ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) have been denied access to pertinent oil reports and associated cost information ((See Anand Gool-sarran’s Report, “The audit report on Exxon’s post-contract costs (Final Part)”, https://www.stabroeknews. com/2024/04/08/features/accountability-watch/the-audit-report-on-exxons-post-contract-costs-final-part/). Similar difficulties were observed on a US$214.0…
Guyana’s storage and emissions of carbon dioxide greenhouse gas
I offer the following clarifications to apparent misunderstandings by President Mohamed Irfaan Ali in his encounter with BBC ‘Hard Talk’ journalist Stephen Sackur (KN, ‘Bring it in – President Ali’s seminal defence of Guyana’s road map’, 01 April 2024) and by General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo in his weekly Press encounters (DPI, ‘Guyana will remain a…
Questions for the confident Alistair Routledge, Exxon Guyana’s President
Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana Must Become Oil-Minded – Column 124 – March 29, 2024 Introduction During the recent Oil and Gas conference in Guyana, Mr. Stephen Sakur, renowned BBC journalist, did a brief interview with Exxon Guyana’s President Alistair Routledge about its operations in Guyana. Unfortunately, the limited nature of the engagement…
Will GtE project’s commercial and other documents be released into the public domain
The Gas-to-Energy (GtE) project’s commercial arrangements have been finalized. The Hansards record the government’s undertaking for these documents to be laid in the National Assembly. When will the Office of the Prime Minister release into the public domain the following information as recorded in the Hansards and/or requested directly: When will the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment release…
Jagdeo should publish the monthly oil extraction and consumption data
It was reported that Former President, Mr. Jagdeo, stated that the reports on royalty payments by Attorney at Law and Chartered Accountant, Mr. Christopher Ram, and Dr. C. Kenrick Hunte, Professor and Former Ambassador, were wrong and that the Government has collected the correct amount of royalty from ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL). In response to…
Unraveling the Mysteries of Royalties: A Call for Transparency in Guyana’s Petroleum Sector
Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana Must Become Oil-Minded – Column 123 – March 9, 2024 A royal storm A letter by Professor Kenrick Hunte appearing in the press earlier this week generated a wave of conversation across the society. Essentially, the Professor claimed that Guyana has been receiving Royalty of about a quarter…
Business and Economic Commentary by Christopher Ram Part 5
A Table of a Chart and a Graph Introduction Today I will deliberately use the Chinese aphorism that “a picture is worth a thousand words” with great effect. So, with two pictures, we start with two thousand words which takes me over my word limit. Some weeks ago, the Government announced that two historic cricket…
Useless comparing Jagan with Jagdeo who is clueless on how to manage Guyana’s oil bonanza
Erin Northe has written a nice letter to commemorate Cheddi Jagan’s death anniversary in SN Letters (March 2nd), titled: “Take time out to reflect on where we are in Dr. Jagan’s vision”. This letter provoked a comment on the online edition from Fuad Rahaman. It reads: Focus on PPP leader, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo’s vision! It’s…
Paying 2 Percent from its Profit, EMGL Robs Guyana of its Correct Royalty Amount
It has been reported that Guyana receives 52 percent of oil profits from ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) oil extraction operations. Given that Guyana is not a shareholder in EMGL, this is overly generous of a company that is expected to minimize cost and maximize profits for its shareholders. In fact, nowhere in the Production Sharing…