Guyana’s Petroleum Road Map Part 2, Guidepost 2: Wrapping-up the overall discussion on Government Spending Priorities

Introduction

Today’s column has two principal aims: One is to wrap-up the overall discussion on spending expected windfall petroleum revenues on Government of Guyana (GoG) designated priorities. And, the other, is to address the third and final remaining set of GoG priorities, having already considered the other two. To recall, I have identified three categories of GoG priorities, namely, the well underway; the long-term; and, the annual to medium-term priorities. Thus far, I have considered the first two listed sets and shall discuss the third set today.

These three categories of priorities are not represented in my columns as entirely discrete. The three blur into each other, if only because the categories I have identified, are differentiated in terms of their time periods. Therefore, delays in some of the well-underway priorities may result in their not being introduced concurrent with First Oil. Similarly, some medium-term priorities might well be delayed, and delivered only over the long-term. Additionally, continued crude oil “finds” offshore Guyana might well impact outcomes!