Advisory services for gas-to-energy, boards and committees, Lethem Passport Office

Sep 04, 2022 Features / Columnists, The GHK Lall Column

>>>Encouraging Events, Disturbing Developments<<<

By GHK Lall

Kaieteur News – I want a gas-to-energy (GTE) project. One that is viable and beneficial. Most importantly, any GTE project must be one that I can reason through and agree with on my own terms, and not because some politician says it is good for me. This is where I stand. Should the PPP Government be open in presenting the studies and reports of this GTE project, so that we can all examine its foundations, and acknowledge that it is good for Guyanese, then I am all for it. Nothing could be clearer than this.

Now that we learn that the PPP Government is seeking advisory services for the GTE project, it is a good development. It is for guidance on legal, commercial, and negotiation issues. Though all three are important, I focus on the commercial and negotiation services sought. The wish is that this was pursued before, and as usual with people of outstanding reputation, and no relation to ExxonMobil. It would have helped immensely to have what an earlier recruited advisory group offered for recommendations. Specifically on the scenarios for cheap electricity and the marketing of excess gas. Because we possess laughable knowledge, standards, and wisdoms on oil and gas (inclusive of the Vice President), this is sensible. It could have helped to avoid some of the disagreements, quarrels, and bad blood that have visited this GTE project almost from the start. From all indications, this project is already done, and this is whether it delivers electricity at 5 cents or 15 cents or 25 cents (all US) per kw. Advisory services of this nature are crucial, and the timing even more acute. As to why the Hon. Vice President didn’t line up this advisory duck earlier, only he knows. I hope it is not to rubberstamp this GTE project to feed Guyanese another line, just like that 4-month audit of Exxon’s expenses.

I move to Boards and committees receiving their commissions and charges. I don’t know and I don’t care what the President tells them beyond the cameras and microphones. I, though, have some clear and straight advice to share with Income Tax, VAT, and Customs Boards of Review, and to the NRF Board and Public Accountability and Investment Committees. Represent Guyanese. Ensure that they get justice. It starts with all members of all boards and committees being patriots first, and partisans somewhere down the line, the farther the better. Be professionals and not prostitutes. Don’t subvert conscience. Don’t sellout the representation that the Guyanese people are due. It may be tempting to think of bargaining the right decision-making for political staying power. Please don’t.

Let’s put some more cards on the table. I don’t know any of these people, other than their names in the media. I don’t want to know them, don’t care for their nod or handshake. Just do right. Though the reputations of some of them have preceded them, and not in an inspiring way, they can do right by the Guyanese people, and not what is pleasing to cheap political operators. I appreciate that the PPP Government and PPP leaders are only in the market for people, hacks, who are in sync with their way of thinking, no matter how crooked and criminal it is. The hope is that these men and women would understand the weighty duties placed in their hands, and be true to their consciences. I do them all a favour, and allocate a conscience to each one. I wait to see what Guyana gets.

Last, that GY$42M Lethem Passport office is the latest in why politicians in this country should be sent to the gallows. PPP, PNC, AFC, it doesn’t matter to me: hang them high. Guyana needs laws and enforcers in this country like they have in Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Pakistan. Year after year, leaders and ministers make speeches about spending, millions are spent on this and that project, and in over 90 percent of the projects, citizens are just going along silently and grimly, while paying the punishments for all these political crimes. No service, poor service, costly service. And we all live happily after cursing each other.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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