Opposition Leader demands thorough investigation of alleged tax and labour law breaches by GTE contractor

Jun 24, 2026 News

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…calls on Labour Minister to assess working conditions

(Kaieteur News) – Leader of the Opposition and We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, Azruddin Mohamed has called for a thorough investigation to be conducted in the alleged flouting of Guyana’s labour and tax laws by the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) contractor, Lindsayca.

The foreign company was hired to construct a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility at Wales to treat gas that will be transported to the site, as well as build the country’s first gas-fired power plant, which is expected to generate 300-megawatts of electricity.

It was recently reported that hundreds of foreign workers employed at the project are allegedly working without valid permits and being paid through a third-party company in a system that may be circumventing Guyana’s labour, immigration and tax laws.

With no work permits, the foreign employees are paid millions through a digital payment system with no taxes paid to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) or the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), while Guyanese employees are mandated to pay these taxes.

According to the Opposition Leader, these damning allegations if proven true, point to a major breach in Guyana’s laws. He explained, “It points to tax avoidance and irregular payroll practices that should not be ignored. The Guyana Revenue Authority must investigate and conduct an audit to ensure full compliance with the country’s tax and labour laws.”

The leader highlighted that the US$759M project cost has ballooned to almost US$1B, pointing to the importance of taxes being paid by the foreign contractors to the state. In fact, he urged that no company operating in Guyana should be allowed to bypass the national tax system.

Additionally, Mohamed called for an urgent site visit to be conducted by the Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning, Keoma Griffith to assess the working conditions of the employees at the GTE project.

Several calls and messages to minister Griffith for a comment on the issue went unanswered, since Saturday.

Leaked documents, digital payment records and accounts from workers suggest that foreign labourers are allegedly not being paid directly by Lindsayca or its known partners. Instead, wages are reportedly routed through an intermediary company identified as MOAP Inc.

MOAP Inc. allegedly functions as a financial conduit for payroll, potentially bypassing statutory obligations, including National Insurance Scheme (NIS) contributions, while facilitating payments to hundreds of undocumented foreign workers.

This publication understands that MOAP avoids a paper trail through the traditional banking system and executes bulk salary disbursements via a local digital payment system.

Meanwhile, on the ground, workers describe utmost fear, being trapped in a system of dependency. One worker spoke with this newspaper strictly off the record out of fear for his safety. The employee detailed the grim reality of life inside the Lindsayca-managed camps.

According to the worker, “We, as undocumented workers paid by a third party in MOAP have little recourse and are afraid for our job and income.

We wish that Keoma Griffith and Ministry of Labour who has never visited nor inspected our job sites or accommodations take action on this matter and investigate why we are not receiving benefits nor properly employed, and instead we depend on this MOAP Inc. and whoever runs this scheme.”

The worker’s plea highlights a glaring dereliction of duty by the Minister of Labour. Recently, the subject minister championed the project as a massive employment opportunity, providing high-profile jobs for Guyanese.

It has however been disclosed that the project under construction at Wales, West Bank Demerara employs about 1,500 persons with only 50 of those being Guyanese. Sources linked to the project have accused the Ministry of Labour of failing to conduct due diligence on how this foreign workforce is actually being sourced and paid. By failing to act, the Ministry is essentially allowing intermediaries like MOAP Inc. to blatantly break Guyana’s immigration and NIS laws, the source close to government said.

This newspaper was informed that to date, there has been zero labour inspections at the GTE campsites, no checks for legal work permits, and zero accountability for the lack of statutory benefits for the hundreds of men building the nation’s largest infrastructure project on record.

Beyond the non-payment of taxes and other benefits for workers, the use of an intermediary company has raised deeper concerns relating to accountability for millions of US-dollars.

These bloated manpower invoices, if true, can serve a dual purpose: dodging local taxes while generating lucrative kickbacks for Lindsayca managers operating on site.

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• investigation, LINDSAYCA, Opposition Leader, tax and labour law breaches

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