The Opposition is accusing the Government of deceiving Guyanese with the announcement last week that Guyana’s remaining oil blocks will be put up for auction when the promised public consultations were not honoured.
According to the A Partnership of National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), the deception recalls the insightful remark of Joseph Pulitzer, after whom the Pulitzer Prize is named: “There is not a crime, there is not a dodge, there is not a trick, there is not a swindle, there is not a vice which does not live by secrecy.”
Accusing the Government of repeating the modus operandi when it rushed to amend Natural Resources Fund Act, the Opposition said Government intends to release the new model Public Sharing Agreement (PSA) and then hastily sign a deal with an oil company. Demanding the release of the PSA now, the Opposition said the only reason the Government will maintain secrecy about the document is because their motives are sinister.
“It is absurd that the country could accept bids for oil blocks, without the public knowing exactly what the agreement that governs those oil blocks will look like. As an example, the government has indicated that the new royalty rate will be 10% but will that be cost recoverable? It might seem beyond imagination that the government would make the royalty it receives cost recoverable, but the PPP has done just that in previous oil agreements. In fact, it is the coalition who had to correct this in the Stabroek block agreement.”
Even more troubling said the Opposition, at its Tuesday press conference, is Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo assurance to the public there will be consultations on the new PSA’s terms. “The PPP makes such remarks casually, as if unaware that in the normal course of governance consultations are one of the first steps that must be undertaken.” The pernicious approach, stated the APNU+AFC, means the consultations will have very little time to take place before the auction is over.
Accusing the Government that this was their game plan all along, it was pronounced “if this were not bad enough, the country still does not know exactly how bidders will be evaluated and who will evaluate them, among many other vital questions.
The opposition has pointed out the nation is unaware of the sizing of the blocks and questioned whether there is a government policy document on this issue, or the government woke up one morning and decided to make some oil blocks peculiarly tiny? “There are good reasons for oil blocks to be larger, rather than smaller, but best of all would be a proper study of the issue.”
In light of expressed concerns the parliamentary coalition reiterated the call for the release of the full terms of this auction. It is critical, the APNU+AFC said, Guyanese have full confidence in any auction, much less one where tens of billions of dollars are potentially at stake.
Warning the last time, a People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government awarded oil blocks the awards were mired in controversy, and fearing a repeat, particularly given Guyana’s huge oil reserves, the coalition said every citizen should be kept abreast of what is happening.
Pointing out transparency and accountability are the difference between ceaseless poverty and vast riches, the coalition said they fear if a poor job is done with the auction, the nation will lose out on tens of billions of United States dollars. “Those funds can easily ensure current and future generations live comfortably, [a]lternatively, they can enrich PPP cronies, some of whom will surely show up for the oil block auction.”
APNU+AFC said in summary their demands on behalf of the people would ensure that “(i) the entire model PSA must be immediately and publicly released, (ii) the terms of the auction must be immediately and publicly released, and (iii) there must be proper public and parliamentary consultations to inform the finalization of both documents.
“The people of Guyana demand no less.”
