Budget Questions for Guyana’s Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh

During his 2022 Budget Speech on January 26, 2022, Dr. Singh noted that the theme of the Budget is “Steadfast Against All Challenges, Resolute in Building our One Guyana,” and that the Budget would be “Historical” and “Transformational.”

In keeping with the ‘one Guyana’ theme of the Budget, and on behalf of many Guyanese, I here now ask the Senior Minister to provide answers to the following questions:

1. What is the Regional Budgetary Allocation for each Region of Guyana? Kindly provide a breakdown between Current Allocation and Capital Allocation by Region in your answer?
2. How much is budgeted towards construction contracts for each Region?
3. How much is budgeted for subventions to Non-Governmental Organisations, the amount for each Organisation and the names of these Organisations?
4. For the nine months ending September 30, 2022, how many contracts have been approved for over GY$100 million; what are the names of the Contractors for the individual contracts and what is the total value for each contract approved?
5. What amount of royalties are budgeted to be received in 2022 under the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), between Government of Guyana and Exxon and its partners?
6. How much royalties were received by the Government of Guyana in 2021 under the 2016 PSA?
7. How much were the profits received by the Government of Guyana in 2021, under the 2016 Profit-Sharing Agreement with Exxon and its partners?
8. How much of the pre-contract costs have been amortized and what is the balance of pre-contract costs capitalised as at December 31, 2021 for the PSA with Exxon and its partners?

The first four questions, if answered, will show the extent of prejudiced Capital Allocation.

Questions 5, 6, 7 and 8 really home in on controversial areas of the PSA the government has with Exxon and its partners, and will be very helpful in exposing the guts and numbers of the Government Dystopia Contract with Exxon. Also, if answered will reveal the enormous sums budgeted to be received in 2022 from Oil.

The minister’s timely response would be appreciated