ExxonMobil should not be allowed to influence what should be critical national issues

Dear Editor,

Pre-independence there was a case to be made for Guyana being called ‘Booker’s Guiana’. Now, decades later, what is visible are the makings of the case for Guyana to be called ‘ExxonMobil’s Guyana’.

Editor, I want to refer to ExxonMobil’s engagement with the caretaker APNU+AFC Government to propose a plan on how oil monies can be used to develop various sectors and selected industries via the development of a national competitiveness strategy.

Guyana has a National Competitiveness Strategy. It is a 125-page document titled ‘Enhancing National Competiveness – A National Competitiveness Strategy for Guyana’. The document’s completion was the result of in-house work, through a partnership between the former PPP/C government and the local private sector. [Link to document: https://finance.gov.gy/wpcontent/uploads/2017/06/ncs.pdf]

The strategy already in existence is a comprehensive one. It deals with: The Rationale for Competitiveness Strategy; Key Elements of Competitiveness Strategy; Core Competitiveness Policies; Sector Strategies; Policies Targeting Strategic Sub-sectors; Overarching Enablers; and the Partnership Approach.

Importantly, the interests of local companies – while not ignoring foreign investments – were addressed in a comprehensive way, from the promotion of local trade to addressing legislation that takes note of Guyana’s specific local circumstances, as well as includes recommendations that build on local experience.

Why do we need to re-invent the wheel on this issue? Why is what we have not being built on? Why is the work being done by a foreign company? Why is the successful model of government/local private sector partnership being ignored?

Also, Editor, following the engagement with the caretaker APNU+AFC Government on a new national competitiveness strategy, a letter was sent to sections of the local private sector and outlines a plan for engagement that is akin to a political party’s manifesto.

The letter that I have seen proposed an invitationonly workshop on Wednesday, September 18th, 2019 to discuss:

• Performance of key economic areas in Guyana, with a view of making sure all players are working from the same foundation as it relates to economic data (statistics from Guyana and other countries that will be provided by ExxonMobil)

• Methodology and tools where ExxonMobil will provide our local private sector with tools, such as drivers of competitiveness, to deal with cluster mapping and cluster development, which is to say that ExxonMobil will tell Guyanese where certain industries are concentrated and how they could be developed.

• National Value Proposition where ExxonMobil will identify where the opportunities for economic advantages are.

• Identification of ‘quick wins’, which is the identification of economic areas where benefits can be realised immediately.

All of this comes under what ExxonMobil is calling the ‘Shared Prosperity Initiative’ to be led by one, Dr. Michael Porter, and a Dr. Jorge Ramirez.

Aside from the lopsided deal signed with ExxonMobil in 2016, why is the caretaker APNU+AFC Government allowing or facilitating ExxonMobil’s influence to shadow what should be critical national issues?

A few questions must be answered:

1. What was the rationale for allowing ExxonMobil to produce a plan for how our take of revenues from the oil and gas sector should be spent?

2. Why is the caretaker APNU+AFC Government not limiting ExxonMobil’s influence on what should be a locally determined national policy trajectory? 3. Who is making the decisions on the engagements between Guyana and ExxonMobil?

Engagements with foreign companies are not unwelcomed, but this must take place in a framework that does not negatively impact national interests.

Guyanese are already enlightened on the disaster that is our Local Content Policy through the zealous Kaieteur News reports on this issue. One of the interesting pieces from Kaieteur News pointed out how a foreign consultant undermined our Local Content Policy to favour foreign interests. Will the caretaker APNU+AFC Government allow the same thing to happen by allowing or facilitating ExxonMobil’s influence on nationally determined policy directions? Will they not learn?

The only thing that appears to be clear is that the caretaker APNU+AFC Government is promoting neocolonialism in our country. In so doing, they have allowed a small group free reign to move around duping our people.

Limits must be set. A national government has the responsibility to act in the interest of the Guyanese people, first and foremost – not place the interest of foreign companies as the priority.

Yours faithfully,

Erin Northe