Dear Editor,
Reference is made to the letter entitled “The legitimacy of the Oil and Gas Governance Network (OGGN) is highly questionable” (Stabroek News, July 27, 2023). In the summer of 2017, OGGN was created as a legitimate non-profit organization located in Hollis, New York, United States of America. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the United States has determined that OGGN is a public charity under the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501(c)(3). OGGN was granted tax exempt status effective as of August 10, 2022.
As a public charity OGGN is qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devices, and transfers of gifts under Section 2055, 2106, or 2522. OGGN files tax returns annually with the IRS and it is subject to financial audits as required by the laws of the United States.
OGGN has no political association and has never endorsed any political party in Guyana or abroad.
As a public charity, OGGN is governed by its by-laws and a board of directors comprised of Guyanese living in the country and in the diaspora. Collectively, they have years of experience in business, industry, research, and/or academia. All of OGGN’s directors work on a pro bono basis for the benefit of all Guyanese. In addition, OGGN can draw on a growing international network of specialists with expertise in the oil and gas industry, public service, corporate and tax law, and good governance practices.
OGGN’s mission is to advocate for the rule of law, transparency, good governance, and accountability with respect to oil exploration and production in Guyana. This is best achieved by effective legislation, regulations, and procedures, codes of practice, monitoring and public reporting systems developed in close consultation with all relevant stakeholders in Guyana. We believe in consensus building and inclusiveness. Guyana’s enormous oil and gas reserves will only offer a pathway to prosperity for all Guyanese, if managed and exploited under the same stringent environmental protection standards , which are common in the US and the European Union. OGGN is also in favour of saving substantial amounts of Guyana’s oil revenues in a Norwegian-style sovereign wealth fund for present and future generations. This will ensure that Guyana’s wealth will endure well beyond the depletion of its finite oil and gas reserves. Towards these goals, OGGN is accomplishing its mission by:
1. Informing and educating the Guyanese public including the Guyanese who live in the diaspora on oil and gas issues;
2. Engaging the local and international media to feature topics related to OGGN’s core mission; and
3. Advocating for transparency, accountability, and good governance by raising related concerns with the Government of Guyana, CARICOM member states, and international organizations.
We cordially invite the readers of Stabroek News to access the wealth of information on Guyana’s oil and gas industry compiled by OGGN via its home page: www.oggn.org.
Sincerely,
Andre Brandli
Janette Bulkan
Darsh Khusial
Joe Persaud
Mike Persaud
Ganga Ramdas
Charles Sugrim
On behalf of the Oil & Gas
Governance Network (OGGN)
