Vice President dismisses PNC's Oil and Gas 20-point plan as "useless"

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo is highly critical of the 20-point Oil and Gas plan which was released by Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton on Wednesday, saying that the plan lacks substance and is replete with duplications.

In the plan, the PNC Reform Leader explained that within 90 days of taking Office, a PNCR/APNU Administration will constitute an Advisory Team of professionals with specialties including business, contracts, law, economics, auditing, engineering, geology, and renewable energy, to advise the Government on the upstream, midstream, and downstream planning, development and administration of Guyana’s Oil & Gas sector.

In addition, Mr. Norton said there will be a review the existing drafts of the Petroleum Commission Legislation and restructure as necessary to finalise the establishment of an independent/autonomous Petroleum Commission.

But today, Mr. Jagdeo said there is no commitment to policy in the Opposition’s document.

“This is a useless, totally useless document that they launched this week and their 20-point plan for oil and gas, but they under pressure to say something but they have nothing to say so they will put out this garbage. It has nothing no specific, they are just writing like it’s academia,” Jagdeo said.

According to the Vice President, while most parts of the PNC’s may be duplicated, other sections have already been implemented by the PPP government.

“12 of their 20 points say we will review if we get into office—its either review or feasibility study, no commitment to doing anything yet, two other paragraphs are duplications so that is 14 points gone and the agreement themselves they are committing to review not to re-negotiate again” Jagdeo noted.

Mr. Norton had explained that a broader policy document will have to be developed which will incorporated into the plan that he outlined.

Those plans he had explained will rid the sector of corruption and ensure maximum benefit for Guyanese.

The Opposition Leader said that for full transparency of the sector, his party will institute a publication of information protocol ensuring that all information including, but not limited to contracts, agreements, contractor quarterly reports, new discoveries, updated reserves, and production data be made accessible to the public conveniently and timely among other measures.