The amendments to the Petroleum Act were yesterday passed by the National Assembly after a grueling five hours of debate during which the opposition questioned the urgency and recommended further consultation.
Government speakers said the passage of the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) (Amendment) Bill paves way for the smooth execution of the planned US$900 million gas to shore project and ExxonMobil’s laying of fibre optic cables, which they argue will allow real time monitoring of activities offshore Guyana.
Throughout the debate, APNU+AFC coalition members told the National Assembly they could not give their support to the proposed changes as they feared they were intended to encourage corrupt practices while foreseeing awards only to friends and supporters of the PPP/C government as beneficiaries and trampling of the rights of private landowners.
