Parliament focused on the past, not the future
– little was said about oil, more on the 2020 elections
Kaieteur News – Last Friday, the House Supply Committee approved the $ 353.8 billion national budget – the largest budget the country has ever passed. It has been said that these billions of dollars would catapult the country’s economic recovery, and improve the performance of critical sectors severely affected by COVID-19 shock waves.
As the largest budget Guyana has ever seen, Kaieteur News had high expectations for the National Assembly, during the five days of debates (February 22-March 1), to comprehensively address how the government prudently managing Guyana’s lucrative oil and gas sector.
However, what Kaieteur News saw in the dome of the Arthur Chung Conference Center (ACCC) during those five days was that the 65 Members of Parliament (MP) were allocating significant time to recall the events of the long March 2020 elections. This was done in the absence how it intends to manage the oil and gas sector.
The only three MPs who had allocated time in their presentations to address this sector were Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat; Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall; and Shadow Oil and Shadow Gas Minister David Patterson.
Bharrat, during his presentation, sought to uproot the former coalition administration for their “poor management” of Guyana and its resources. But he was quick to brag and be prolific about the details and events of the March 2020 elections, where the APNU + AFC failed to rig.
When he turned to the oil and gas sector division, the Minister for Natural Resources incorrectly pointed out to the assembly that under the coalition, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had approved a 14 billion flaring cap for ExxonMobil. This 14 billion cap was recently unveiled by Exxon itself. Despite this, Bharrat noted that the People’s Party / Civic Progressive Party (PPP / C) government will nurture the sector in collaboration with its investment partners to ensure that it benefits from the sector.
The Minister also spoke very briefly on the Local Involvement consultations currently underway; PPP / C intentions to embark on the onshore gas project; as well as his intentions to correct the deficiencies in Liza One License. This license is due for renewal next.
As the country’s leading law man, Kaieteur News had expected AG Nandlall to highlight key measures the government plans to take to reform the decades-old oil and gas legislation. However, when the AG spoke on this sector, all he said was the government’s intention to retain the international consultant to draft legislation for the petroleum sector.
Meanwhile, Opposition MP Patterson criticized the PPP / C government for allowing Exxon to flame, despite the fact that this allowance had been given by the previous administration. The government even criticized the decision to land the gas factory in Wales.
He emphasized, however, that the coalition’s willingness and support was “on the introduction of a unified post so that we can collectively address the alleged inadequacy of the Contract and any other documents including the Environmental Permits.”
Notably, the other 63 government and opposition MPs said little, and in some cases not at all, on how the government should manage this sector – which, if it were allowed manage it at best, transform the lives of all Guyanese and future generations.