Undoing Sandil Kissoon

Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana Must Become Oil-Minded – Column 155 The National Assembly is scheduled to meet today, as the 12th Parliament moves to a close in preparation for historic elections. The Prime Minister will lead the second reading of the Oil Pollution Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Responsibility Bill tabled last week….

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Refer the Oil Pollution Bill 2025 to a Select Committee due to its technical deficiencies and legal ambiguity

I write to make an urgent appeal to the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Leader of the House, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Prime Minister regarding the Oil Pollution Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Responsibility Bill 2025, tabled by the Prime Minister last Friday. This legislation represents one of the most critical environmental…

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President’s lack of response and Information Commissioner’s disdain exemplify their disregard for information rights

I write to share the latest information on Guyana’s dismal state of transparency and right to information.  On April 14, 2025, on behalf of a group of civil society organisations and individuals, I wrote the President, who holds the Portfolio for Information, requesting a meeting regarding the Office of the Commissioner of Information’s failures: no…

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Let us not fail Adriana twice

I express heartfelt condolences to the parents and other loved ones of 11-year-old Adriana Younge, whose tragic and suspicious death has plunged our nation into grief and turmoil. The pain and anger felt by all Guyanese – not only parents and family members – are real. The public outrage over the police’s handling of this…

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The Tax Certificate mystery

Introduction The controversy over tax certificates issued to oil companies continues unabated. On March 17, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance responded to the Oil and Gas Governance Network’s information request by suggesting that tax details could be found in Commercial Registry filings – a claim I discredited in my March 21 column as…

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The Ministry of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs has it all wrong

Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana Must Become Oil-Minded -Column 154 Introduction By its very name, the Ministry of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs should defend and advance democracy, promote and ensure transparency, and strengthen and enforce accountability. Regrettably, the Ministry, in pursuit of the party’s agenda, is increasingly a convenient vehicle for political deflection…

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The Information Blackout: Oil Transparency and the Failure of Access to Information in Guyana

Introduction Guyana’s Constitution identifies access to information as a right – not a privilege. Yet, for a decade and more since the Access to Information Act was passed in 2011, this right has been treated with contempt. The Office of the Commissioner of Information’s ongoing obstructionism reflects more than a question of competence – it…

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The Bahamas gets 15% tax on Guyana oil revenue and Guyana (like Piggy) gets none

The Bahamas gets 15% tax on Guyana oil revenue and Guyana (like Piggy) gets none “The OECD/G20’s Pillar Two framework mandates that all in-scope MNEs (multi-national enterprises) pay a minimum effective tax rate of 15% on profits in each jurisdiction. The Bahamas must act decisively to ensure that these taxes are collected here, rather than…

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Investment Committee Member Files Legal Challenge Over Natural Resource Fund Transparency

GEORGETOWN, GUYANA – Mr. Terrence Campbell, a Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Investment Committee member, this afternoon filed a judicial review application challenging the Government of Guyana’s management and transparency of the Natural Resource Fund. The application names the Attorney General of Guyana and the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for…

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