Dear Editor,
Does His Excellency the President Mohamed Irfaan Ali live in an alternative universe? ‘We now have 18,000 Guyanese working on the offshore oil rig.’ See the DPI notice from October 14, 2024; https://dpi.gov.gy/local-content-raked-in-over-us2-billion-in-businesses-to-date-president-ali/ .
There are 3 functioning FPSOs, each with a working crew of 150-160 according to the EIAs, of whom fewer than half will be Guyanese because of the need for skills and experience. There are 6 drillships, 2 from Stena and 4 from Noble, with very largely expatriate crews; but let us allow 50 Guyanese for each drillship. There are about 25 OSVs – offshore supply vessels – also with largely expatriate crews, but let us allow 20 Guyanese per vessel. Total (3×80 + 6×50 + 25×20) = 1,040 persons maximum. Can Stabroek News ask the President to provide credible evidence for his claim of more than 17 times that employment?
Every day, the Department for Public Information (DPI) publishes pages filled with wild exaggerations like this one, without providing verifiable sources. On any day, the Opposition Parties and independent newspapers could employ an intern to fact-check the DPI outputs and so generate easily a basis for counter-stories and proposals for these Parties. It is extraordinary to me that the Opposition Parties allow these easy opportunities to be missed.
Sincerely,
Janette Bulkan
