Businessman and Publisher of Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall, has mounted a legal challenge in the High Court, seeking among other things, a declaration from the Court that several articles of the Petroleum Agreement dated 27^th day of June 2016, violates sections of the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act and are therefore unlawful, null and void and of no legal effect. 

Mr. Lall in the Court action against the Government is arguing that the concessions which oil companies currently enjoy in Guyana are excessive and Guyana could benefit from hundreds of millions of dollars once a more robust agreement is in place.

Lall and his Kaieteur Newspaper have been hammering the agreement since it was signed by the former government. He has also taken the new PPP government to task for its failure to review the oil contracts,  expressing his dissatisfaction over the administration’s granting more concessions to ExxonMobil and its partners.

The Court action which lists Attorney General Anil Nandlall as the respondent was filed by Mr. Lall’s Attorney Mohamed Ali earlier today and although Mr. Lall wants almost all of the articles in the contract reversed, his main contention deals with Article 15 of the Stabroek Block agreement which addresses the question of Royalties and Tax Exemptions for ExxonMobil, its partners, affiliate companies and subcontractors.

Lall who has taken a bigger presence on social media to share his concerns also wants the High Court to declare that the section of the Petroleum Act which authorizes the Minister to remit any royalty payable by a licensee or to defer the payment of such royalty, is also a violation of the Financial Administration and Audit Act.

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