Jordan bemoans information blackout in oil and gas sector

Sep 08, 2022 News

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– says Govt. hiding key documents, failing to release contracts

Kaieteur News – Former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan has bemoaned the lack of critical information about the workings of the oil and gas sector here, criticizing the current Government for hiding key documents and contracts from citizens.

Jordan is among the long list of stakeholders questioning President Irfaan Ali Government’s commitment toward the education and genuine involvement of citizens in the oil sector. He said this is so, given the limited public engagements and availability of information necessary to wake up Guyanese to the lucrative energy sector. Jordan told this publication that the last Government, before leaving office, had already gone the “distance” where through the developmental work put out, “…we showed that in this sector we were prepared to make as much information available.” The former Minister said that when it came to the oil and gas sector, it was widely admitted, even among the news agencies, “…that they had more information coming out of the Ministry of Finance and the Coalition Government during that time.”

To make the point, Jordan highlighted that at the Ministry of Finance under his stewardship “information flowed and information to the public was second to none.” “Under my stewardship I told every agency that came under my head that they must hold at least one end of year Press Conference, and for the first time you saw Bank of Guyana, Bureau of Statistics, Guyana Revenue Office and these places holding Press Conferences.”

Jordan continued that the last Government provided “…monthly reports that were as comprehensive as can be despite the circumstances being faced in the new sector.” He said several open workshops were held at the Marriott Hotel and University of Guyana among other locations, bringing information to citizens and further teaching them about the sector. “So, without a doubt, cheese for chalk, we had no intension of hiding information,” Jordan told the publication. He said that the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) Guyana has with American oil company Exxon Mobil remains today, the only contract that has been made available publicly in this sector.

“No other contract, no other contract under this Government has been made public,” Jordan insisted. He questioned whether anyone has seen too, the contract between the Government and Exxon for the gas to energy pipeline project. “All we are hearing is that they will be taking out the money from future sales, but have we seen any contract?” Jordan questioned.

Outside of those, Jordan also questioned whether any citizen has the oil contracts relating to sale of oil, and other related data. Jordan reiterated that the necessary reports were made public under his Government. More recently however, the current government started to provide the related data and directed stakeholders to where the information could be found. But even this has its challenges because while the information may be available, its content is not reader friendly, Jordan opined.

The former Minister insisted that if persons want to be honest, they will stop playing games and admit that there were avenues to accommodate citizens, while they had a wide access to individuals. Jordan added that some are falsely claiming not to be providing the oil information because the last Government did the same. He reiterated however that “the PSA remains the only oil document that has been made public to date and that was under the coalition government.”  Notwithstanding all the current Government’s talk about making the oil documents public while in opposition, “the PSA remains the only contract that is in the public domain.”

The Kaieteur News had engaged the former Minister Friday seeking answers to a number of allegations made against the current opposition by the Government. Among others, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo in particular, has accused the last Government of failing to prepare Guyana for its large oil bounty by not putting certain measures in place. Accused also came against the last Government for hiding oil and gas information from Guyanese- one of these includes a signing bonus and even the mentioned PSA. The conversation regarding oil and gas information and education for citizens continues to rage on. Civil society bodies, anti-corruption and transparency advocates, among others have called on the Government to not only release more oil related information to the public, but to ensure they are incorporated into the development of the oil and gas sector.

 

 

 

 

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