In a press release this past Saturday, the government admitted that the Stabroek Block contract is lopsided. The Department of Public Information article further states, “…with the passage of the local content legislation, Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, said the law now recoups the benefits lost from the Exxon deal.” It is astounding that the…
Last week’s column (‘Macroeconomic issues relating to the NRF’) made the point that there are many similarities between the Act of 2019 and 2021, but it is the withdrawal rule which separates the two Acts in a major way. The withdrawal rule is very important and it needs to be transparent so that Guyanese can…
Major Guyanese newspapers have been exposing numerous issues surrounding the oil contracts. One positive change, as a result of their relentless efforts, was having the Ministry of Natural Resources publish Guyana’s oil lift data. Additionally, it appears that the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) reviews have had some impact because a new website has appeared…
In the previous column, I noted several positive features of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Act of 2021. I also outlined several potential downsides such as the possibility for employing unnecessary financial consulting in the face of a legally-mandated passive investment strategy, the power relations between the officers of the Fund and government given the…
The Natural Resource Fund Act of December 2021 is a clear and concise document outlining the purpose of the Fund, as well as the sources of oil revenue deposit and method of withdrawal. The Act is quite clear on the kinds of assets in which the people’s oil monies are to be invested. It was…
Jay Mobeen asserts that ‘babbling Glen Lall and others who agitated against the NRF … were disingenuous. For weeks they peddled misinformation to a nation, woefully ignorant of the bill. This couldn’t have been more glaring than the massive sign held up outside the Assembly by opposition protestors. This sign demanded the inclusion of the…
As a Guyanese of the diaspora living in Switzerland and Germany, I have been following Guyanese politics closely for the last few years. What has struck me most is the uncompromising nature of politics in my mother’s homeland. There is the absence of a political culture of seeking solutions to the nation’s key problems by…
The argument has been advanced that the reason PNC rigged all elections (1968 – 1985) goes like this: Why not? If PNC didn’t rig, then PPP with its Indian numerical majority base would win all elections – and they (PNC) would be kept out of power forever. Sounds like good logic in an environment where…
