Dear Editor,
The VP’s securing of the sale of carbon credits is being hailed as an “initiative,” and astute leadership by our VP (See “Astute leadership delivers massive carbon credit deal for Guyana” (Chronicle, Dec. 6, 2022). It may very well be so, but judging from how the PPP Government has reneged on its campaign manifesto to “review and renegotiate” the worst oil contract in the world, and ceding every leverage and point of accountability regarding oil governance, the sale of carbon credits deserves closer scrutiny by the appropriate experts. It would have been nice to see a headline that says, “Astute leadership leads to a renegotiated oil contract that delivers billions more to Guyana.” When has any Government put Guyana first in all the natural resource permits and contracts? Millions of ounces of gold are mined and exported yet the largest gold miners declare losses at tax time. In the case of oil, we pay the taxes of the oil barons, effectively making a loss on oil if you subtract the taxes we pay on behalf of the oil companies from our income from oil. Both the PNC and PPP have been very secretive about the natural resources contracts. Their default settings to governance are not about full disclosures.
I am surmising that because Hess and Exxon are salivating to buy carbon credits that it must be a sweet or sweeter deal than the worst oil contracts in the world leaving us with the short end of the stick as President Ali might say. Not only do we have the short end of the stick with oil and gas, we are getting shafted in places we would prefer not to be shafted. Did we get a deal on the sale of carbon credits? Why did the government not bring this to the public soliciting ideas, and debate in Parliament to get the views of the Opposition (if they are not skulking, as they like to do when important matters are being discussed).
The carbon credits contracts will tie future governments, and it is important to involve the Opposition and civil society groups in securing a consensus as to what is good for Guyana. The VP alone or the PPP alone is not “One Guyana,” that’s half Guyana. They alone do not know what is good for Guyana. The PPP must govern differently and better, and not benchmark itself to the PNC’s mediocrity while in power. When you critique the PPP, the PPP zealots like to say, “But the APNU/AFC did not do anything.” Would you not fall into a ditch if both the PPP and PNC use each other’s reigns as benchmarks if you want a progressive and 21st century Guyana? Any emerging Third Force party must promise to trust the people and involve all the people in these important matters regarding natural resources.
Government must also answer comments by Dr. Janette Bulkan as raised in “NTC must explain legal basis of their endorsement of government’s move to make decisions over Indigenous titled lands” (SN, Dec. 8, 2022).
I call on the Government to release the contracts for the carbon credits.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jerry Jailall