By Mark DaCosta- The Alliance For Change (AFC) has unveiled an ambitious platform to overhaul how the country manages its offshore hydrocarbons, promising rapid renegotiation of foundational contracts, a new independent regulator, and strict environmental and fiscal safeguards. The party frames its proposals as an urgent corrective to what it describes as inadequate stewardship by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) of our nation’s resources, pledging transparency, stronger oversight and measures designed to ensure oil revenues serve all Guyanese.
In a comprehensive policy statement released this week, the AFC set out a timetable for immediate action should it assume office, signalling plans to reopen the landmark Stabroek Block production-sharing arrangement within weeks. The party argues that the current arrangements must be reworked to secure a “fair and proportional share of oil revenues” for the state and to prevent offshore projects from being managed in ways that delay receipts to the public purse. Among the headline commitments are the creation of a National Petroleum Commission within two months, an end to routine gas flaring and ocean discharge of produced water, and the requirement that operators carry uncompromising spill liability coverage — an obligation the platform says should be enforced in line with Justice Kissoon’s ruling.
The AFC couches its demands in a set of guiding principles that begin with sovereignty and end with equity. “Sovereignty: Guyana must control and benefit from its resources,” the statement declares, while also insisting on “Transparency: Full disclosure of all agreements, revenue flows, environmental plans, and approvals.” Those two extracts encapsulate the party’s pitch: to transfer control of decision-making and information from a narrow circle to a publicly accountable framework. The manifesto further pledges to publish contracts and environmental studies on a digital portal within days of approval and to open the Natural Resource Fund to parliamentary scrutiny and civil-society oversight.
If implemented, the changes would upend the current governance architecture that has overseen rapid development since the Stabroek discoveries more than a decade ago. The AFC seeks ring-fencing clauses to prevent cost recovery from being aggregated across projects — a move intended to accelerate government cashflows — and wants independent, world-class environmental and social impact assessments before any major undertaking. The party also wants regular audits, performance benchmarks and outside experts vetting large-scale projects, signalling a preference for internationally validated standards.
Environmental protections dominate several sections of the programme. The AFC calls for the reinstatement of a ban on routine gas flaring and an immediate prohibition on dumping chemically treated, heated produced water into marine environments. It promises to rebuild a specialised petroleum oversight unit within the Environmental Protection Agency, restore capacity-building programmes previously supported by multilateral partners, and train inspectors to maintain continuous, on-site oversight of offshore operations. The platform also stresses the need for a cradle‑to‑grave hazardous waste regime and the construction of modern landfills to manage toxic and radioactive residues — long-standing gaps identified by environmental advocates.
On liability and readiness, the party is explicit: operators must demonstrate continuous financial proof of insurance or bonds to cover potential catastrophic incidents, maintain around-the-clock monitoring and emergency response capabilities, and participate in frequent spill drills with national agencies. The AFC says it will require biannual reviews of oil-spill contingency plans, stockpile response equipment along the coast, and impose heavy penalties for delayed or negligent action.
The manifesto’s economic governance proposals include strengthening the Natural Resource Fund’s independence and technical competence, committing to quarterly fiscal disclosures, and binding parliamentary and civil-society oversight over withdrawals. Internationally, the party proposes engagement with transparency initiatives and pledges to keep “robust legal representation to defend Guyana’s interests in arbitration and disputes,” reflecting an awareness of the legal complexities that could follow contract adjustments.
Critics will argue that reopening contracts could trigger investor uncertainty and legal challenges; proponents counter that greater transparency and stronger institutions will attract better-quality investment on fairer terms. The AFC frames its programme as a people-first reset: “Oil Must Work for All Guyanese,” the release asserts, a line that underpins its broader claim that without reform, the oil boom risks becoming a burden rather than a blessing.
As the debate over resource governance intensifies, the proposals add fresh momentum to calls for accountability and stronger environmental safeguards. Whether the political will exists to enact such sweeping reforms, and how the industry and international partners will respond, remain pivotal questions for our country’s future as it navigates the high-stakes transition from emerging producer to steward of a potentially transformative national asset.
