India

Mar 05, 2023 Editorial

Kaieteur News – Guyana stands to learn much from India.  There was a shared colonial power functioning as master over our lives. Then, there was what benefited the ‘Mother Country’ and how the riches of poor countries were drained, and subject peoples left to fight over whatever dregs remained.  This has been the story of both India and Guyana for centuries.  Because India has vaster depths than us, more experiences than ours, there is much for Guyana, just to be around this country.

Aside from the ties of a common past, there are the links of people, culture, and longstanding friendly relations.  India helped us out with vaccines when times were hard and alarming.  India has extended scholarships, technical expertise, money, and more over the years.  Now we are joining hands with India for some much-needed assistance with our new and ballooning oil and gas sector.  Many are already here, in the form of America, Canada, and China, plus several oil operators and suppliers from European countries.  Thus, we welcome the partnering with India for participation in our rich oil sector.

It could be a mutually rewarding relationship: we have oil and gas in abundance, with quantities constantly growing by leaps and bounds.  India has had lengthy relationships and exposures to the intricacies of oil markets and their players.  We could benefit from India’s insights that it gathered along the way.  As an oil importer, India has dealt well with country to country challenges, in a time of sanctions, and a side having to be picked.  Also, India is a country that is known for its technological prowess, the skills of its people, which could all have upside for Guyana.  We, who have been robbed and kicked black and blue by ExxonMobil, need a relationship, a partner that can be trusted to stand by our side, and help us to know what we do not know.

As a country, Guyana is struggling, most of the time with itself, which leaves it so preoccupied, that the foreign companies play with our heads, play expensive games on us, and play us for fools.  We have been bombarded by reports of a billion-dollar (US) pipeline to Wales, more money coming out of our oil revenues, in a push for a costly gas-to-energy project, over which there is great uncertainty.  The little that has been shared with Guyanese: studies, total cost, and impacts, all confirm that there is a great deal more that we need to know.  This is to facilitate a decision for or against the Wales project.

Vice President Jagdeo is on record insisting that cheap, six cents per kilowatt hour (kw) is what will be on the successful completion of all three phases of the Wales gas-to-energy project. We would like to believe him, but much more is needed for that to happen.  Now India has just stated that solar energy is costing it three cents per kw.  Taking Mr. Jagdeo’s number to heart, it is still double what India is paying for renewable energy.  If Mr. Jagdeo listens sincerely, we could save ourselves some money, and some serious migraines later.  We offer no criticisms about money possibly unwisely spent, debts racked up, and Guyana left with another white elephant.  All we at this paper are saying is listen to the Indian Government Minister, appreciate what could be had, what is likely more manageable, and what could be a genuine winner for Guyana.  It would be one that is largely lacking in controversy or the need for secrecy.

We think that it is a better way to go, with the world leaning, slowly weaning itself, away from fossil fuels, and more towards renewables. Respected organizations like the United Nations have led the way in the push away from fossil fuels, and the energy facilities that they power.  Guyana still has many opportunities to benefit enormously from its oil, but only if PPPC Government leaders are wise that not every glittering project, with alluring possibilities, is the way to go.  Top leaders must make the right choices, with some projects pursued, some reluctantly shelved.  Problem is that ExxonMobil has started laying pipes.  This could cost us more than we bargained for, with more to regret.

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