After 2 years in office… Govt. still to make new law to protect Guyana’s oil resources - Article 13

After 2 years in office… Govt. still to make new law to protect Guyana’s oil resources – Article 13

Aug 03, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – Tuesday, August 2, 2022 commemorated the President Mohammed Irfaan Ali-led government’s second year in office and according to, Article 13, a civil society body, there is nothing to celebrate because it has not done anything “to advance and represent the interest of the Guyanese people.”

In a press release, Article 13 noted that one of the ways that government has failed the country is by not making a new legislation to regulate Guyana’s oil sector.

“There are no new legislation to regulate the petroleum sector; the local content policy for the sector has been bungled and is in disarray,” the civil society body observed.

Not only has Ali and his government failed to update Guyana’s outdated petroleum laws for the protection of the country’s oil resources but, according to Article 13, it has also back peddled on its manifesto promise to revisit the lop-sided contract for the lucrative Stabroek Block currently being operated by American oil company, ExxonMobil.

In fact, according to the civil society group, Ali and his government are now defending the oil contract it had condemned and promised to fix while in campaign mode. Article 13 pointed-out that the government’s behaviour clearly shows that “it is prepared to risk serious harm to the environment, while pursuing uncontrolled petroleum activities under a Petroleum Agreement which it solemnly promised to revisit but now stoutly defends.”

On Monday, Kaieteur News reported of this dangerous risk that Ali and the PPP administration are taking by allowing ExxonMobil to pump more oil while the country’s petroleum law remains weak.

The outdated laws have glaring loopholes that allow for Guyana to lose big from its oil resources.

President Mohamed Irfaan Ali

Years have passed since Exxon discovered massive crude oil resources in commercial quantities offshore Guyana. To date, Exxon’s oil reserves stands at 11 billion barrels and while the company continues to pump more and make more discoveries in the prolific Stabroek Block, Guyana’s Exploration and Production Act of 1986 has only been amended twice in the last 36 years.

The last time that the Act was amended was 25 years ago and since then there have not been any new changes to the law.

Ali’s government upon assuming office in August 2020, promised to overhaul Guyana’s archaic petroleum laws but to date, he has not done anything in this regard.

In fact, the government has reportedly been cherry-picking oil reform by hurriedly passing a Natural Resource Fund Act in 2021, which gives it full control over how the oil money is to be spent and amending a small part of the nation’s 1986 Act to ensure that ExxonMobil has a smooth flow with lands to be used or disrupted during the construction of the gas-to-energy projects and other initiatives.

Noting that government has failed on these other fronts to advance and represent the best interest of Guyanese, Article 13 has called on both Ali’s government and the opposition to recognise the need for a reset.

“Guyana, including the government, the opposition and civil society need to be mindful of the direction in which the country is heading and to recognise the need for a reset,” the civil society body stated.

Article 13 added that Opposition must commit to respecting the wishes of the electorate and be prepared to sit down and honestly discuss the business of the country and the PPP/C government must show by its actions that it places the interest of all the people above power and partisan politics.

It also reminded that civil society must show courage and independence not only in holding the Government and the Opposition responsible but also in advancing and representing the interest of Guyana.

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