Opinion
By not paying taxes the Oil Companies are getting a free ride
Distinguished Retired Economics and Business Professor Dr. Ganga Ramdas’ of the Oil and Gas Governance Network (OGGN), asserts that Guyana is losing an approximate US$62 million annually due to Exxon not paying taxes, as other companies do. Many newspapers and commentators such as Guyana icon Christopher Ram have lamented this sad state of affairs of…
Scale of investment is not a reason for tax waivers
I refer to Mr. Reggie Bhagwandin’s letter, “Oil deal was designed to cater for the nature of the industry” and wish to comment as follows: An argument for tax waivers for Foreign Companies – Profits are not guaranteed. Business is very competitive. Therefore, it makes good sense for host governments to grant tax waivers for…
How much taxes should Exxon and the oil companies have paid?
As per the 2016 Stabroek Block contract, for the oil production lifecycle, from the preparation for oil production to when the oil is finally sold, the oil companies pay no taxes (see Article 15.1). The applicable income tax laws assess the Contractor’s tax due on taxable income (Article 15.3) and the Minister agrees to pay…
Guyanese Citizens File Climate Case Claiming Massive Offshore Oil Project is Unconstitutional
Washington, DC — Today, Guyanese citizens filed the first constitutional climate case in the Caribbean to challenge fossil fuel production on the grounds that it exacerbates global warming and threatens human rights. The case, before Guyana’s Constitutional Court, claims that Guyana’s approval of a massive, ExxonMobil-led oil and gas buildout off the country’s coast violates the…
Meeting – Extractive Sector Transparency Week
Guyana Extractives Industry Transparency Week. A virtual Guyana Extractives Industry Transparency Week (GEITW) from June 7-11, 2021. This one-week event is focused on bringing together government, industry, civil society organizations, journalists, and the general public under one forum to discuss Guyana’s ongoing pursuit of good governance and transparency in the extractives sector. Key areas of…
Gas to shore and the pesky outlet flange
Today’s column explores the proposed gas-to-shore project. Off the bat, I must declare that converting the present heavy fuel power plants to natural gas makes sense. Indeed, in June 2015, I wrote a column, then under Development Watch, arguing for the transition from high-polluting heavy fuel to less-polluting natural gas power plants. However, the same…
Time for Guyana to consider hedging as oil prices recover
December 20th marked the one-year anniversary of oil being lifted from Guyana’s ocean floor. Who has benefitted the most from our oil? Is it the people of Guyana or the oil companies? Certainly, there doesn’t appear to be any significant oil benefits to the more than 30 percent of Guyanese living on US$2 a day….
How much taxes would have been collected from the oil companies if the Stabroek contract required the oil companies to pay taxes
Guyanese businesses are paying 40 percent taxes on operating profits for commercial activities. In contrast, the oil companies enjoy a tax-free ride on their oil profits. For the oil production lifecycle, from the preparation for oil production to when the oil is finally sold, the oil companies pay no taxes. The oil companies have business…
Which of Guyana’s laws may have been violated by the Stabroek Block Contract
The 2016 Stabroek Block oil contract between the oil companies and the Government of Guyana violates many of Guyana’s laws compared to the original 1999 contract, according to local legal experts. The Government seems content to ignore our own national laws. None of the violations in this oil contract have been challenged in court as…
Guyana’s people must align now with global movement to avert climate catastrophe
President Biden will host a Leaders Summit on Climate on 22nd and 23rd April. The summit will deal with urgent action to tackle climate change plus the economic benefits of doing so. Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda and Prime Minister Andrew Holness of Jamaica are among the 40 leaders selected to attend….