Opinion
Small-scale fishers in Guyana – ‘small fry’ in Guyana’s marine space
During their first few months of life, young fish are called ‘fry’; most do not survive to adulthood. The idiom, ‘small fry’, has been used to refer to children and people of low status since the 14th century in England and is perhaps derived from the ‘fry’ of fish. Artisanal fishers in Guyana are treated…
One has to wonder what other anomalies a forensic audit of oil production capital costs might not uncover
The pace of discovery in the Stabroek Block has been astounding. There have been 32 major discoveries to date. There are currently 3 projects in production: Liza Phase 1, Liza Phase 2 and Payara. The current daily output is 620,000 barrels of oil. There are 2 additional projects approved for production: Yellowtail and Uaru. Plus,…
Claim by National Toshaos Council is erroneous
The claim by the National Toshaos Council (NTC ) that it is the ‘sole, legal and legitimate’ body that represents the interests of Amerindians in Guyana (Department of Public Affairs, ‘NTC affirms its position as legitimate representative body of Amerindians’, 24 November 2023) has no legal basis. This claim is an unreasonable/erroneous extrapolation of the…
These findings justify a full-scale forensic audit of the 2018-2020 accounts of ExxonMobil Guyana
Recently, an audit that encompassed 260,000 transactions, totaling US$7.3 billion, for the Stabroek Block for the period 2018 to 2020 was completed in 4 months. The size of the audit team appeared to be about 12 people; a few members were Guyanese. We assume the Guyanese members had no prior experience in auditing oil &…
Belize imposes ringfencing on petroleum companies through its tax legislation.
Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana Must Become Oil-Minded – Part 115 – November 24, 2023 Introduction Let me confess to being as surprised as many of the readers of this column, on learning that Belize is in fact an oil producing state! Not a major one – it produces a mere 5,000 barrels…
Decommissioning and restoration costs for oil
Reference is made to your article captioned ‘Exxon must now put decommissioning fund in place for all Guyana projects – Minister Bharrat’ (KN 11-16-2023). In that article, it is reported that ‘…the company (EMGL) would have to submit for the minister’s approval, a proposed decommissioning plan and budget no later than two years before the…
Zero tax on ExxonMobil is monumental financial loss for Guyana and its people
Parliament’s decision to create—what amounts to—a zero tax clause in the petroleum production agreement keeps power and wealth in the hands of its foreign counterparties and contributes to Guyana’s economic inequality. Additionally, it stagnates the potential for sustainable economic growth here in the local land. While the Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) should be…
Oil Companies Illegally Trespassing on Guyanese Land
Statement by Guyanese Lawyer, Elizabeth Deane-Hughes: Newspaper: https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2023/11/18/citizens-continue-fight-to-quash-exxons-gas-pipeline-permit/ TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMjKDw4J3/ Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Got1VNepjrI
If the renegotiation clause is meaningless, Jagdeo should have it expunged from the contract
Robin Singh’s letter titled, “I extend congratulations to Jagdeo for embracing a failed Marxist philosophy” (SN Nov 16th), contained several false arguments. Singh writes: “. . . others are spending much time and effort to disparage and discourage new investors in our economy”. Robin is referring to a group of oil activists and two daily…
Unraveling the Confusion: Examining Relinquishment Policies in Guyana’s Oil Blocks
Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana Must Become Oil-Minded – Part 114 – November 17, 2023 Introduction The Kaieteur News this past Wednesday reported that Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat as stating that the Government has written ExxonMobil directing that it relinquish portions of the Kaieteur and Canje Oil Blocks. There are two…