Guyanese Businessman and owner and Publisher of Kaieteur News Glen Lall who has been calling for the renegotiation of the oil contracts with Exxon, led a small protest this morning outside the Marriott Hotel where the International Energy Conference is being hosted.
Lall has been highlighting his concerns about the existing contracts in his newspapers and across social media.
He believes that unless Guyana renegotiates the contracts and makes them more attractive for the country, the benefits from the sector will be leaving the local shores rather than remaining here.
“What is very clear is that our President Ali said loud and clear that he will revise and negotiate all these deals, but what happen now? He said that while he was in Opposition. Our Vice President who is heading the sector also said that the deal Trotman (former Minister) signed is a one-sided deal and he would never sign such a deal, he will renegotiate it, what’s going on now?” Lall questioned as he accused the Government of ignoring the calls for new contracts to be drafted.
The former APNU+AFC Government came under widespread criticism over the Production Sharing Agreement it signed with the Exxon company following the discovery of oil.
On the issue of renegotiating the contract, Mr. Lall said the PPP has been in office since 2020 and does not appear eager to change anything in the existing contract. He said he believes more pressure should be placed on the government to get it right.
“This is a fight for us to get our rightful share from these multinational companies and what has been happening, it is very clear that if we allow things to go as they are… the Guyanese people will be left indebted and back to slavery. So, we cannot allow that to happen anymore and only protest will bring about this change”, he said.
Opposition Member of Parliament Sherod Duncan was also on the picket line in support of the other protesters and their position. He admitted that Guyana did not get its fair share in the existing contract which was signed when the coalition was in office.
“As we revised and we look at the discoveries since 2016, then we realized that we really haven’t gotten a fair share. And, whether it is the full coverage insurance or is the royalty, the 2% that currently stands that we need more out of this oil deal with ExxonMobil”.
The protest was kept some distance away from the conference, but even with the grey skies and light rainfall, they persisted and held the picket line for a number of hours.
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