Dear Editor,
The PPP has signalled its adamant intention to not renegotiate the bad oil contracts signed by its twin, the PNC, in a recent article by Kemol King, of the Department of Public Information. Failing in overall oil governance, the PPP may regret not honouring its election promise when it cited the Global Witness report which said Guyana stands to lose $US55 billion (27 years of the Guyana budget) and that the PPP will renegotiate the oil contract if it wins. It turns out that’s a “promise made, promise not kept.” (A revised projection by the Oil and Gas Governance Network -OGGN- indicates that we stand to lose $US 92 billion). The Exxon boss revealed that both the PPP and the PNC promised them they will not renegotiate the oil contract. This means the PPP was secretly telling Exxon one thing, and telling the voters, the opposite. If both the PPP and PNC will not pursue renegotiation, this creates an opening for a new party to emerge, with a solid platform of renegotiation of the oil contracts. And both the PPP and PNC may regret this in 2025. Such a party must not make the mistakes of the tiny “fly by night” parties that emerged for the 2020 elections, but have now been vapourised and neutralized by senior counsel appointments, board appointments, speakership/consultant positions, and similar goodies doled out to those party leaders. An early start for such a new oil renegotiation party will ensure they are solid in time for the 2025 elections.
Why should renegotiation of the oil contract be the number one priority for all Guyanese? If the oil contract remains as is, the working class – the minimum wage and low income people who work hard and honestly – will remain in persistent poverty until they die. “Working poor” means you work hard and give it all you’ve got but you are still poor. The “working poor” will never be able to get out of poverty no matter how many billions of barrels of oil we find in Guyana, because the bulk of the profits will go to the oil companies and their subsidiary companies that get duty free concessions and pay no taxes, and the business class, whom Dr. Jagan used to call the “bourgeoisie” and the “petty bourgeoisie.” These “working poor” (including teachers, nurses, policemen, some public service workers, security guards, store workers, subsistence farmers, small vendors, domestic workers) will never be able to own a car for their family transportation. If they are lucky to have a house, they will be paying the mortgage until they die. This group of “working poor” will not afford to go to private hospitals like the well-to-do people; they will have to rely on public hospitals and clinics where medicines are in short supply, and services are poor. If your family member has a bad medical condition that has to be treated abroad, you would have to make appeals in the newspaper begging the public to donate to your medical fund, while Cabinet members can go abroad at taxpayers’ expense and get special treatment.
Nation, that’s why renegotiation is such an important thing for everyone to fight for regardless of race, regardless of which party you like to support, religion, or other consideration. Without renegotiation, “cat eat your breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” as national hero, Glenn Lall, and the independent papers – Kaieteur News and Stabroek News have been telling us. The oil companies and oil businesses will feast off the fatted calf, while poor people have to eat the crumbs that fall from the masters’ tables. Nation, renegotiation is important because Guyana needs more money to fund a massive infrastructure plan to repair, pave and build crumbling roads and bridges all across Guyana. The money we are getting now from oil under the current contract will never be enough to take care of all of Guyana’s needs in flood and sea defence control, health, education, water, electricity, internet services, wage and salary increases, etc. The two major parties that have betrayed our country have created an opening for a new “Oil Renegotiation Party.” Our future good life depends on it! Think about it!
Sincerely,
Dr. Jerry Jailall
