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ExxonMobil and Guyana…Publish all contract drafts; make negotiations accountable to Parliament –TIGI urges
Considering that contract secrecy can be injurious to countries rich with natural resources such as oil, Transparency Institute Guyana Inc. (TIGI) is urging the government to publish all contract drafts with USA oil giant, ExxonMobil.
TIGI Head, Dr. Troy Thomas
The body is also calling for Parliament to be able to shine a light of transparency on all negotiations between Guyana and the said company.
TIGI expressed the view that Exxon, the major player, has a reputation to protect and would shun corrupt transactions.
It said, “While we hope this is true, corruption is not the only problem Guyana has to worry about when dealing with oil companies. One of these is the ability of a small country like Guyana to negotiate with a titan like Exxon.”
The local charter continued, “Most of the cards the government is keeping to its chest are stacked in Exxon’s favour. Exxon is a descendant of the company that invented the oil industry and a key player and superpower in this global sector. Exxon will have more information – a vital element of negotiation – than the Guyana officials will ever dream exists.”
The transparency body added, “An indispensable approach to even the odds that are stacked against Guyana in the negotiations is to publish the contract drafts and make the negotiations accountable to Parliament.
“In this way, Guyanese in the Diaspora whose knowledge is vast in this area will be able to make contributions to the process and thus protect our country’s interest.”
TIGI also pointed out that it finds it hard to swallow, some of the reasons proffered in the media by Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman for the Exxon Contract not being released.
In this regard, the body said that the explanation of the non-disclosure being tied to “national security,” is not convincing.
TIGI contended that it is near impossible to undervalue the amount of the oil potential that has already been disclosed to the public, by the international press and in investment circles.
It said that Venezuela has already played its hand in furtherance of its claim to Guyanese patrimony; it is claiming the entire seaway far beyond its original claim to Essequibo.
TIGI argued that the amount of information about this oil discovery that can excite the avarice of neighbours is already publicly available.
“It is however, exceeded by the amount of information that was made publicly available in the newspapers of the world when Venezuela celebrated her satisfaction with the ruling of the 1899 award that she considered to be in her favour and which, on the prompting of the world powers of the 1960s, she found it convenient to vitiate,” expressed the Transparency body.
TIGI said, too, that a security risk may also stem from physical presence in the oil exploration zone as experienced when Suriname moved against the CGX operations a few years ago.
“However, ExxonMobil is currently operating in the Stabroek Block. The link between release of the contract and security risk is tenuous and this calls into question the true motivation for secrecy.”
The body said that the government’s willingness to ignore the mountain of evidence against contract secrecy and the potential ills associated with a developing oil industry is baffling.
“This is especially so given its stated commitment to transparency and accountability. We call for a full release of the contract with ExxonMobil and its partners.”
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