Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo said today that his party – the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) – did not influence the report issued by international anti-corruption organisation, Global Witness, which states that the David Granger-led administration lapsed in securing a better deal with oil major ExxonMobil.
The report has been a source of contention since its release earlier this week. In it, the agency said that the Guyana Government, to the detriment of the country, failed to use its leverage in the negotiation of the deal with ExxonMobil. The agency claimed that Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trottman was too quick to ink the deal without taking the advice of experts.
Global Witness contends that this will ultimately lead to the country losing out on some US$55B throughout a specified period.
The government has since debunked the report, with officials laying claim that document’s release so close to an election is not a coincidence, but rather, a plot by the opposition to secure political points. Government officials and supporters have even accused the opposition of having a hand in the document’s compilation and subsequent release. But Jagdeo, this afternoon, distanced his party from those assertions saying that the PPP/C had no contact with the agency, nor did it in anyway influence the findings. Global Witness’ presence in Guyana might have stemmed from the government’s own questionable actions, he surmised.
Jagdeo claimed that the “spinning of the narrative” is an attempt by the government to politicise the issue.
“Suddenly, Global Witness, an international NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation) that is been around for ages, becomes a friend of the PPP, and the PPP instigated this report, and the timing of this report is what the government spinners are carrying…Well, let me say this: the People’s Progressive Party/Civic did not bring Global Witness here; we have no such power over Global Witness – which is an international NGO…It’s presence here was largely triggered by this government’s own act,” he said.
Jagdeo also questioned the veracity of the US$55B that the agency claimed Guyana is set to lose. He said that this figure is an estimated one based on projections and the price of oil. He admitted that this figure can be lower, or higher depending on real-time factors. Nevertheless, he is of the opinion that while the “loss” may variate, the “undeserving” is definite. Jagdeo said that Guyana should have gotten more from the deal.
The government, however, is maintaining that its agreement with Exxon is a beneficial one. In its response to the report, government noted that the paybacks from the said deal include a 50 percent profit oil take, a two percent royalty, Withholding taxes, and a US$18M signing bonus.
From all indications, the government appears unyielding in the non-renegotiation of the contract. Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, during a televised rally, likened renegotiation to the popular story of the dog and the bone.
