Release tax receipts, oil production data to prove govt. not corrupt

Jun 28, 2022 News

– transparency advocate tells Min. Ashni Singh

Kaieteur News – Senior Minister within the Office of the President, with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh over the weekend praised his administration’s level of transparency and accountability but at least one civil society activist says if this is to be believed then government must show the nation its receipts.

Anti Corruption advocate, Alfred Bhulai

The sentiments were expressed by Think Engine Energy Services Company’s Alfred Bhulai, who in a public missive noted that “now we have the Senior Finance Minister asserting at the Guyana Anti-Corruption Framework training workshop, organised by his own Ministry of Governance; that he firmly believes transparency and accountability is crucial in the fight against corruption.”
According to Bhulai, Dr. Singh is following the lead of his President, who always maintains their government is transparent. “Well, let them tell their Cabinet colleague Minister responsible for Petroleum according to the Petroleum Agreement with the oil companies to make public the receipt he obtained from the Commissioner-General of the GRA, who has to properly prepare the receipts required under Article 15.5” of the same Petroleum Agreement, for the taxes that that minister pays on behalf of the oil companies.”
Additionally, Bhulai contends, “while they are at it, let them also declare daily the current productions and analyses of oil and gas, “then we can believe these anti-corruption calls for transparency and accountability.”
Dr. Singh over the weekend at the anti-corruption workshop said, “We in this Government believe very strongly and we are fully committed to the importance of the fight against corruption in all of its forms and we believe equally …the most effective instruments in the fight against corruption (are) openness, transparency and accountability.”
He was adamant, “We equally believe that open and transparent and accountable government is an absolutely essential prerequisite in democratic governance, and we believe that democracy goes hand in hand with openness transparency and accountability.” The minister said that a government who subscribes to the norms of democracy must answer to its electorate which it must serve, “demonstrably”.
“It must present itself to that electorate and convince that electorate that it is worthy of re-election.” That, Singh said, is the nature of democratic governance and cannot be disregarded given the necessity of openness, transparency and accountability. A government that fails in this regard does so at its own peril; increasing the unavoidable consequence of eventually making itself unelectable.
Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority, Godfrey Statia had over the weekend on the matter of taxes due by the oil companies reiterated that Guyana does in fact pay taxes for Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) and their partners.
Statia in a public missive said, the Government of Guyana, however, based on Article 15.4 of the Petroleum Contract, opted to institute the ‘Pay on Behalf System’ whereby the Government’s share of Profit Oil includes the income taxes payable by the contractor. Therefore, the Minister with responsibility for Petroleum is required to pay the relevant taxes on behalf of the Contractor. As a result, the parties comprising the Contractor would thereafter be issued with Tax Certificates which would essentially allow them to claim Tax Credits or Tax Deductions in other jurisdictions in which they are liable to pay taxes. According to Statia, the fact that the PSA allows for the contractor’s corporate taxes to be paid out of Guyana’s share of Profit Oil, means that the Net effect on the Consolidated Fund will be Nil.