The well known idiom, caught between a rock and a hard place, best describes the bind in which APNU Leader, Aubrey Norton finds himself when it comes to demanding a renegotiation of ExxonMobil’s 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA).
On one hand, Norton believes the country must get more than the paltry 2 percent royalty and 50/50 profit split arrangement in the PSA. On the other, he is fearful that more money from an improved deal would only be misused by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration.
Norton, during a recent online interview, unpacked his thoughts on this matter, stating that he has long held the view that the nation’s law, entrusts upon its leaders, a duty to ensure Guyanese benefit from their resources.
“I am on the side that our resources must benefit us and we must do what is necessary for us to maximize those gains,” expressed the party leader.
He said the process to solicit more benefits should not be seen as a fight with Exxon. He said the PSA even has provisions that allow for amicable negotiations on fiscal matters if both parties agree to take that route.
While the APNU Leader holds this view, it is in direct conflict with his deep-seated belief that the PPP/C would only use more revenues to fuel its selfish plans.
Norton said, “Why would I want to ask for more and it is not meeting the people? It is being stolen by the PPP. It has become a slush fund for their development agenda. So it is not just about getting more, but getting more for whom? I am saying, in the present configuration of this governance system, getting more means putting additional resources in the hands of the corrupt.”
Furthermore, the Opposition Leader said he does not believe that the party would implement programmes that stimulate social and economic transformation in the lives of ordinary citizens. He said government’s proclivity for sporadic distribution of cash grants, which in any case, evaporate suddenly due to the rising cost of living, in no way brings about meaningful change.
Norton said there is no justification for the government’s failure to utilize a portion of the $5B set aside in the 2022 budget to address the inflation gnawing at the pockets of public servants. He also slammed the government’s outright refusal to give workers a liveable income.
Given his outlook of the government, Norton finds it difficult to demand more from the Exxon deal purely on the merit that it means more for Guyana. He has nonetheless promised to do so, should his party be elected to office in the 2025 General and Regional Elections.
