The wealthy should refrain from the absurd call to leave the oil in the ground

Aug 17, 2018 Letters

Dear Editor,

More and more I am seeing calls being made by seemingly intelligent people, that Guyana should leave the oil in the ground since too much potential trouble lies in wait and the minute the oil is pumped from beneath the Atlantic, the country will collapse.
This call, coming most recently from a Guyanese UK-based Attorney-at-Law and another Guyanese Houston-based oil consultant who months ago worked for the government, demonstrates a total lack of understanding and appreciation of the dire conditions under which Guyanese exist.
Blackout is a daily occurrence. Waiting several hours for medical attention at shabby public health facilities is routine. Schools are falling apart and poor wages limit access to highly skilled teachers. Roads and bridges are crumbling. Limited access is available to interior locations making the cost of travel, goods and services exorbitant. Options for the young educated University of Guyana graduates are almost non-existent. Migration is high.
Oil production is not just about the revenue, which if used wisely, can address the declining infrastructure and enhance social services. It is about the multiple spin-off industries that will be created in services, tourism, manufacturing (from cheap power), agriculture and so much more, creating thousands of new jobs and multiple opportunities for advancement.
Those who already enjoy a high standard of living should refrain from the absurd call to leave the oil in the ground. Demand transparency and accountability from government, ensure that in all discussions and negotiations with oil companies, Guyana gets a fair deal, but to say we should stop production is a grand demonstration of insanity.
Yours respectfully,
Selwyn Paul

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