$20,000 allowance for GNBS inspectors a recipe for corruption-Ramson Jnr.

$20,000 allowance for GNBS inspectors a recipe for corruption–Ramson Jnr.

Jan 12, 2020 News

Monitoring measurements of oil…

Several inspectors from the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) have been selected to make visits to the Liza Destiny to ensure there are accurate measurements of the oil being stored and offloaded to other vessels.
For this critical task, the GNBS has confirmed that these officers would receive a meager $20,000 allowance per month. They would be required to remain offshore for six weeks.
But transparency advocates and other industry onlookers believe that such a paltry compensation creates fertile ground for corruption.
Attorney-at-Law, Charles Ramson, told this newspaper yesterday that an extra $20,000 per month for GNBS inspectors, lays out clearly, a recipe for corruption as well as opportunities for oil companies to loot the nation’s wealth.
Ramson said, “These individuals have needs and their families also have needs. As human beings, we are all susceptible to the offerings that try to persuade us to look the other way. It has happened in so many other countries so why would Guyana be any different?”
The lawyer added, “How could $20,000 extra per month be anywhere near adequate to compensate anyone for doing such an important job and exposing themselves to all kinds of risks, not being able to see their family or friends or even land for days at a time, for several times a month?”
Ramson opined that the GNBS should be ashamed of itself while noting that the citizenry has every right to ask if any Minister or other Government official would do that kind of work for an extra $20,000 per month. “I bet they would refuse. So why take advantage of our own Guyanese people like this?” Ramson enquired.
Ramson reminded that recently, the nation learnt of how a Guyanese chef was making $70,000 per month to work offshore while non-Guyanese were making three times that amount. He also noted that in response to this, the government said it was unaware of this state of affairs.
“In this situation with the GNBS officials, it is the government that is doing this kind of exploitation to its own people. Is this the good life they are offering? This operation is not a hands-off operation. This is our oil and we have to monitor how much is produced and offloaded so we can get our right share.”
Ramson said that overall; the government has clearly been neglectful and has proven itself, time and again, incapable of managing the nation’s oil resources.
On Thursday, Kaieteur News published the advice of University of Houston Instructor, Tom Mitro, who intimated that as Guyana embarks on the development of its oil resources proper compensation for the guardians of the new found wealth must not be overlooked.
The official who has over 30 years experience in the oil sector stressed that the key agencies which have to regulate the oil sector have the crucial task of keeping corruption at bay.
“Therefore, the importance of paying competitive compensation to key Government agencies involved with oversight should not be overlooked; it serves as a means of not only attracting and retaining the most qualified people but as a means of minimizing incentives for corruption,” the official had said.