Dear Editor,
While defending the billions allocated to the Gas to Shore project in 2022, 2023 and 2024, the Prime Minister, when asked, committed to provide the National Assembly with copies of the agreements signed with Exxon and other parties on the project.
On April 2, 2024, the Parliament Office wrote to the Prime Minister reminding him of his commitment to the National Assembly to provide copies of the contracts, something which he has refused to do for the last three years.
On November 2024, during the parliamentary session to examine the request for an additional G$25.3B for this project, the Prime Minister was again reminded of his outstanding commitment to the National Assembly.
This was his response:
“Mr. Chair, if I had failed in offering my response as requested by the honorable member, let me apologize to this honorable House and I will seek to, in the shortest possible time, honor that request,” – a commitment which once again has not been honored.
The election season has already commenced, and I am sure you will hear the Prime Minister saying that the party he represents is committed to transparency and accountability. He is also going to say his Government has always honoured it promises to the people – I trust that the Nation will know that they only play lip service to these virtues.
The gas to shore project is the country’s single largest capital project to date. When it was originally launched the budget was US$810M with a construction period of two years. The project cost has now spiraled to over US$2.4B and climbing while the two-year construction period has long expired – yet the PPP has steadfastly refused to hand over any documents on the various studies, they claimed to have been executed, or contracts signed with the various parties – a sure sign that this is a failed and corrupt project.
So once again in grand fashion, the PPP continues to fail to honour its promise of transparency and accountability. Everyone knows, even if they don’t say so – that PR and successful execution are two different things.
In Guyanese parlance and as old people say, “Moutar and Guitar is two different Tar”.
Yours faithfully,
David Patterson
