Guyana now has an oil purse of US$436 million dollars in a foreign bank that mysteriously sits untapped in a period of our greatest need. We are in the midst of a deadly pandemic; one the world hasn’t experienced since the Spanish Flu of 1918 that took an estimated 20 to 50 million lives. We…
Guyana’s oil export led growth model leaves important gaps in Government financing that could pose sustainability threats for whichever Government is in office. One has to go back to fundamentals and ask if the engine of growth makes any contribution to the Central Government’s current or capital budget, beyond its 2 percent Royalty that Guyana…
On Wednesday, February 15th, 2023 the Esso Guyana Media Relations Advisor, Kwesi Isles, stated that the increase of the Liza 1 and Liza 2 projects’ combined output to 400,000 barrels per day was safe. This appears to be the second time in less than a year that an Esso Guyana representative has issued highly questionable…
Mr. Anil Nandlall S.C. Attorney General and principal legal adviser to the Government has written rather disparagingly about comments I made in my last Friday‘s Stabroek News oil and gas column. Without naming me or addressing any of the extensive data, sources and arguments I used in arriving at my findings, he claims that my…
An international firm will advise the Guyana Government on how to market the country’s remaining unassigned oil blocks, according to Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman. “Cabinet has determined that an international firm will be retained to guide and advise that process going forward,” Trotman told Sunday Stabroek. “A short-list of capable firms is being compiled…
In keeping with a recent undertaking, the Government of Guyana yesterday released the Petroleum Agreement entered into on its behalf by Mr. Raphael Trotman with American oil companies Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited and Hess Guyana Exploration Limited and CNOOC NEXEN Production Guyana Limited, from China. The Agreement is dated 27 June 2016 and…
SOUTH AMERICA’S only English-speaking country is one of its poorest. But perhaps not for much longer: Guyana has struck black gold. By 2020 ExxonMobil, the world’s biggest private oil firm, expects to be pumping oil in Guyanese waters, with Hess and Nexen, its American and Chinese partner firms. In the past two years they have…
Alleviating and reducing poverty is the touchstone to determining governance and by far the most important criteria by which our political leaders must be judged from Guyana’s Independence to now. From poverty in our hinterlands to poverty in our urbanized ghettos to places which by their names underline poverty, such as Plastic City nestled on…
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…
Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana Must Become Oil-Minded – Column 144 Thanksgiving has been silently making its presence felt in Guyana with the Black Friday sale looked forward to by shoppers spending on things they do not need because they will save on Black Friday spending. The idea is an incident of Thanksgiving…
