AFC announces 18-point plan for oil sector if elected

May 31, 2025 News

Kaieteur News- The Alliance For Change (AFC) on Friday revealed an 18-point plan it will use to manage the oil and gas sector should it be elected at the September 1, 2025 general and regional elections.

Party leader, Nigel Hughes told reporters that the political group will be contesting the national and regional elections, with a “strong team” with “many surprises” to be announced soon.

Hughes said the AFC will focus on several areas including cost-of-living, governance, Indigenous development and land rights, education, reform of the health system, adjustments to taxation and infrastructure development.

AFC announces 18-point plan for oil sector if elected

AFC Chairman, David Patterson

With no indication of plans to improve governance of the oil and gas sector, recognised as the key driver of the country’s economy, Kaieteur News asked the leader to share his plans for the petroleum sector and state whether the AFC will pursue a renegotiation of the lopsided Exxon deal.

Hughes delegated party executives David Patterson and Dr. Vincent Adams to address the query. They unveiled the party’s plans to manage the sector, if elected.

Patterson, who is also party chairman said, “the AFC in particular and I think the opposition as a whole, but AFC has been unequivocal that for management of the oil and gas sector, we are in support of any action that will bring better benefits to the people of Guyana. If that means readjusting the contract and safeguarding the people that’s speaking on insurance, depletion policies, as well as decommissioning…it is in our action plan for us to do baseline surveys, something which the government has promised and never done.”

Additionally, he reminded, “we have been advocates for a petroleum commission to bring some technical expertise into it rather than one man getting up on a Thursday afternoon and dictating how the oil revenues should be spent and in our interaction with persons we have advocated and we will continue to advocate for the training of persons in the oil and gas sector.”

Patterson also mentioned the party’s advocacy for a revision of the Environmental Protection Act; the Petroleum Activities Act; the oil spill guarantee; the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Act and adjusting savings as well as greater transparency of the fund.

As such, he noted, “All of them will be part of our push and our manifesto.”

Meanwhile, former head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Vincent Adams noted that these plans will be the “highest priorities” of the AFC to address as soon as the party takes office.

He said, “…with the list that we intend to act upon, is of course ring-fencing so yes everything that David said, that’s where we’re heading. As soon as we get into office this will be our highest priority to address every single issue that have been raised about this oil contract and its deficiencies. Our intent is to make it better in the best interest of the Guyanese people, while at the same time making sure that like in every contract, making sure that the contractor also gets a fair share.”

The 18-point plan

Patterson then shared a few points from the AFC’s 18-point plan to manage the petroleum sector. In addition to his earlier commitments, the party’s plans also include public disclosure of information/contracts/etcetera; reinjection and prohibition of dumping of produced water into the ocean; reinjection and prohibition of production gas flaring; capacity building; full liability coverage; establishing a national oil company and contract renegotiations.

Caption: The 18-point plan revealed by the AFC to manage the oil sector, if elected

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18-point plan, AFC, elected, Oil and Gas, Patterson

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