Dear Editor,
I have to confess to some impatience at having to correct, once again, some of the disinformation being peddled by Mr. Joel Bhagwandin. Instead of taking stock of how he embarrasses himself, he continues to show reckless indifference, as if it was a badge of honour. Two months ago, he demonstrated his inability to differentiate between the date of the 2016 Petroleum Agreement and its execution date but persisted, despite being corrected. In yesterday’s Stabroek News (12/20/23), in his feeble attempt to respond to my letter in Stabroek News and Kaieteur News one day earlier, he confidently claims that the 2016 Petroleum Agreement “has an expiration date … and that expiration date is in October 2027”. That is dangerously misinformed and totally wrong.
What comes to an end in June 2027 – not October 2027 – is the Petroleum Prospecting Licence issued to Exxon, Hess and CNOOC. The Petroleum Agreement with those companies under which Prospecting and Production Licences are issued expire in year 2057, inclusive of the one-year COVID 19 force majeure approved by this Administration. I suggest to the young man that he heed the cautionary advice offered by my friend Robin Singh in his letter appearing in the Stabroek News yesterday, alongside Mr. Bhagwandin’s. What Mr. Bhagwandin wrote would please Maduro who would then think, well, all I have to do is wait four years! I sincerely hope that Guyanese do not fall for the continuous stream of disinformation emanating from Mr. Bhagwandin.
Sincerely,
Christopher Ram
