https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/exxonmobils-operations-miners-welfare-on-parliament-committee-agenda/
ExxonMobil’s operations, miners welfare on parliament committee agenda
When it resumes work this month, the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources is set to focus on the working conditions and security of small-scale mining workers, oversight of Guyana’s oil and gas sector and ExxonMobil’s operations and earnings among other areas.
We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Member of Parliament (MP) and committee member Dr Ryan Richards believes that the committee should prioritise issues affecting workers in Guyana’s mining sector and that particular attention should be paid to the working conditions of Guyanese employed by mining companies.
He called attention to the reports received by the committee that have raised concerns about the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), food and other working conditions.
Speaking with Kiskadee Watch last week, Richards is proposing that the committee engage the companies to address those concerns and ensure that workers’ welfare is adequately considered. He also identified the oil sector as another area requiring attention, noting that Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat had previously raised the possibility of ExxonMobil appearing before the committee to provide information on its operations.
According to Richards, while an attempt had reportedly been made in the past to have ExxonMobil appear before the committee, it was not successful. He said he would like to see the company’s executives engage with the committee in the interest of transparency and accountability and provide a formal report on developments in the oil sector.
Richards also highlighted concerns about the pay of workers operating in Guyana’s interior regions, saying consideration should be given to the additional risks associated with such employment. He said workers in the interior can face hazards including dangerous wildlife and other risks that are not encountered to the same extent by employees working in Georgetown and other urban areas.
Further, Richards said the committee could consider discussions with the Ministry of Labour on whether workers in high-risk interior locations should receive additional compensation, such as a risk allowance or adjustments to their pay scales.
Minister Bharrat told Kiskadee Watch that the committee has agreed to dedicate its next three meetings to the country’s three main natural resource sectors – oil and gas, mining and forestry.
He shared that he will make presentations on each sector and take questions from members of the committee to ensure that they are updated on developments, noting that this approach was agreed upon by all committee members at their last meeting.
Also speaking with Kiskadee Watch, another committee member, WIN MP Odessa Primus shared some similar sentiments, noting that the committee is expected to focus on a range of issues affecting Guyana’s mining sector, particularly the challenges facing small-scale miners.
She noted that the committee members are currently engaging small-scale miners to identify and compile the challenges they face before determining how those issues should be addressed. Among the issues raised are the process for registering and obtaining documentation required to continue their operations.
Primus observed that miners are now required to provide extensive documentation, in a process that is similar to requirements imposed on larger companies. She said the concern is not necessarily the documentation itself, but the process involved in obtaining it.
According to Primus, if new requirements are introduced, there should be adequate engagement with miners to determine whether they are prepared to meet those requirements, along with centralised locations where they can obtain assistance. She said many small-scale miners have been unable to operate for extended periods while trying to determine what documents are required, where to obtain them and how to complete the process.
Primus also identified land-related disputes as another concern raised by miners, noting that miners have complained about their lands being seized while other individuals are subsequently allowed to operate on those lands, with some miners allegedly facing charges when they attempt to address the situation.
She also highlighted security as a major concern among small-scale miners, citing reports of robberies and people being killed in interior locations. Miners, she said, have expressed concerns about their safety while operating in remote areas and believe more attention needs to be paid to security in those locations.
Meanwhile, APNU Member of Parliament Sharma Solomon, who was elected Vice Chairman of the committee, told Kiskadee Watch that several priority areas have been identified to be considered when the committee resumes its work.
Share of earnings, new contracts
Solomon said the committee has agreed to hold three meetings before the end of 2026, beginning in October and continuing through November and December, noting that members are reviewing the previous committee’s work programme while identifying additional areas of interest for consideration.
Among the issues he identified are Guyana’s oil and gas sector, the Natural Resource Fund, ExxonMobil’s operations and the country’s earnings from petroleum production. He said recent developments in the oil sector, including ExxonMobil’s declarations, have raised questions about Guyana’s position in relation to its share of earnings, new contracts and other aspects of the country’s petroleum arrangements.
Solomon said the committee intends to examine where Guyana stands now that ExxonMobil has entered the profit area of its operations.
The Gas-to-Energy project is also expected to receive attention, particularly regarding discussions surrounding developments in Region Six and the Berbice area. Solomon said the committee intends to visit the Wales area to examine the project and also plans to visit an ExxonMobil rig as part of its oversight work.
The committee will also examine contracts across the natural resources sector, including agreements relating to oil, gas, energy and mining. He said attention will also be paid to several large-scale mining operations expected to come on stream in Regions Seven and Eight.
According to Solomon, the committee has not yet seen the contracts for some of those operations and intends to request access to them and potentially visit the locations.
Further, he said uranium mining is another issue the committee is expected to examine, especially as questions were raised about the country’s preparedness and position regarding uranium mining.
He also raised concerns about the Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GYEITI), particularly Guyana’s participation on the international board and concerns over the independence of the tripartite process involving government, the private sector and civil society.
Solomon said he is concerned about government dominance in representation within GYEITI and argued that the initiative’s independence is important because it provides oversight of the natural resources sector.
The treatment of small-scale miners and the issue of Amerindian lands are also expected to feature prominently in the committee’s work. Solomon said the committee has received complaints from small miners about access to mining concessions and alleged incursions into Amerindian lands. He also pointed to concerns about disparities between small miners and larger mining companies in access to concessions.
Solomon also raised concerns about oil exploration, particularly plans relating to the Takutu Basin, noting that the committee had previously asked about whether the government intended to pursue oil exploration in the Takutu Basin in the Rupununi, and the response at the time was that there were no such plans.
According to Solomon, a subsequent announcement indicated that the government was considering the area and would consult communities as part of efforts to explore its resource potential. He said the opposition is not opposed to the development of natural resources, including oil and gas, but wants greater attention paid to the manner in which such development is pursued.
The other committee members include Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar, Minister in the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development Pauline Sukhai, Minister within the Ministry of Housing Vanessa Benn, and MP Thandi McAllister (Alternate). WIN MP Dr. Andre Lewis was also on the committee but he has since resigned.
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Mid-Year Report 2026 is masterpiece of deception, Guyana experiencing classic resource curse
https://kiskadeewatch.com/opinion/letters/mid-year-report-2026-is-masterpiece-of-deception-guyana-experiencing-classic-resource-curse/
Mid-Year Report 2026 is masterpiece of deception, Guyana experiencing classic resource curse
Dear Editor,
I fully endorse the sentiments expressed by one of the WIN Party leaders, Mr. Charles Sugrim in yesterday’s edition of Kiskadee Watch captioned “Reckless borrowing by Guyana gov’t will see our oil wealth pledged away to banks, other creditors”. I wish to add further evidence found in the Ministry of Finance’s Mid-Year Report 2026.
The fiscal deterioration is worse than projected
Mr. Sugrim correctly notes that the Overall Deficit After Grants deteriorated from negative $35 billion in HY 2025 to negative $105 billion in HY 2026. The picture is worse when examining the Non-Financial Public Sector deficit of $108.9 billion, which includes public enterprises. GPL and GuySuCo are leaders in the plunder of people’s money—spent on Turkish businessmen and big contractors now cutting canes. The small man gets very little.
The Natural Resource Fund is being depleted
The NRF received US$2,063.8 million in HY 2026 but withdrew US$1,020 million. The Report warns: “As additional projects are approved, and their development costs enter the cost bank, the profit-oil ratio will move again.” Yes—downwards! With four more oil projects awaiting approval, the next four years will bring economic hardship. That is President Irfaan Ali’s legacy – hardship on the poor people of Guyana.
Debt sustainability: The elephant in the room
Borrowing tripled between HY 2025 and HY 2026:
- Net external borrowing: $19 billion → $71 billion
- Net domestic borrowing: $16 billion → $35 billion
- Total Government Guaranteed debt: US$8.6 billion (end-June 2026), up from US$7.7 billion (end-2025)
The Report’s claim of a 28.6% debt-to-GDP ratio is deeply misleading. Oil accounts for 81.2% of GDP and is temporary. Strip out oil, and the debt-to-non-oil-GDP ratio exceeds 150%; worse than under President Jagdeo. This is not prudence; it is masking insolvency behind oil-inflated figures.
Interest payments rose by GUY$5 billion in HY 2026 to GUY$13.8 billion. At this pace, annual interest will exceed GUY$20 billion by year-end. This is our money flowing to lenders, not the citizens.
Agriculture: The silent crisis
Agriculture contracted by 0.5% in HY 2026; “other crops” fell 6.4%. This sector employs the largest share of Guyana’s population and could feed the oil boats but is failing at this essential task.
The Report blames rainfall. But after eight years of oil wealth, the government has failed to invest sensibly in drainage. It was Cheddi Jagan who dreamed of an effective MMA Scheme and Black Bush Polder Scheme. Under Zulfikar Mustapha and Irfaan Ali, that dream has been destroyed. Only $24.7 billion of $82 billion budgeted for drainage was spent; a 30% execution rate. Minister Mustapha’s performance is an “F” grade.
El Niño conditions are expected in H2 2026. The government’s response? “Shade houses” and “climate-smart planning.” This is a confession of unpreparedness. Another “F” Grade.
Labour shortages: A self-inflicted wound
The Report admits: “the binding constraint faced is no longer the creation of jobs, but the supply and composition of the skills available to fill them.” The government launched an $829.7 billion Public Sector Investment Programme with deficient human capacity, the programme’s main ingredient. This shows the Irfaan Ali Government has lost its competence to think; a far cry from the Jagdeo era when the State Planning Secretariat under Mr. Clyde Roopchand got more done with less through old-fashioned monitoring and evaluation. Who is monitoring this $829 billion? Ghost?
The result: contractors robbing the Government and getting away with this highway robbery because they have friends in Office of the President, project delays, cost overruns, and slow impact on people’s lives. Manpower studies are slated for H2 2026. This is more of the PPP boys and girls trying to close the gates after the programme has begun. This is backwards planning, a direct reflection of President Ali, a man with a Degree in Planning.
BIT trained only 706 persons; GOAL graduated 3,800. These numbers are microscopic. The government is building hospitals, roads, and bridges without training enough doctors, nurses, engineers, and technicians. The Cabinet and Permanent Secretaries are running around like headless chickens, reacting to crises rather than implementing a 10-year plan that is shared with the people.
Conclusion
The Mid-Year Report 2026 is a masterpiece of deception; impressive numbers masking a Ponzi Scheme. When it crumbles, only the poor will suffer since some of these senior government officials are now multi-billionaires and have generational wealth after six years in Office. Guyana is experiencing a classic resource curse: rapid GDP growth driven by oil, rising debt, declining agriculture, institutional bottlenecks, and opaque fiscal transfers.
The NRF is being depleted. The debt-to-non-oil-GDP ratio is alarming – 150%. Labour shortages are delaying projects. Agriculture is contracting. Inflation is hurting the poor.
Like everything in life, boom must be followed by bust, and our bust is here already. What is even worse, the PPP/C has no plan for it.
Finally, it is good to see the WIN Party as the main opposition writing on these policy defects. This must be continued to ensure the people know that there are people out there in the opposition who can understand the crisis and can create a plan to take the nation out of this economic crisis affecting the poor people of Guyana. This letter from Mr. Charles Sugrim warms my heart since it means that the opposition does have people who are thinking on the big issues.
Yours faithfully,
Surujdai Juglall
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Companies take $610.6m fertilizer contract dispute to PPC
https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/companies-take-610-6m-fertilizer-contract-dispute-to-ppc/
Companies take $610.6m fertilizer contract dispute to PPC
Company Secretary of Impeccable Construction & General Supplies Inc. Ayodele Roache says the company and AR Total Logistics Solutions Inc. have lodged a formal complaint with the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) over more than $610.6 million in fertilizer contracts they say were awarded to them but were never handed over for execution.
Roache, who is also a director of AR Total Logistics Solutions Inc., told Kiskadee Watch last week that the contracts were properly tendered and the awards were subsequently advertised by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).
In fact, she said she happened to be at NPTAB when she saw a procurement officer from NAREI collecting the contracts. However, the contracts were not subsequently handed over to the companies for execution and they were instead told that the Ministry of Agriculture was awaiting additional funding before the contracts could proceed.
“The ministry never gave the contracts over to our company. Instead, they said that they’re holding it until they have enough money,” Roache recalled, adding that the companies were told that they had to wait until the National Assembly approved additional funds.
The companies have been seeking clarification from the ministry since September last year but continued to receive the same explanation about funding. They subsequently sent formal letters to the Permanent Secretary, the Minister of Agriculture, NAREI’s procurement department and the NAREI Chief Executive Officer seeking information on when the contracts would be issued and when the works could be executed.
But Roache said that none of the letters was acknowledged.The companies, she continued, eventually met with the NAREI CEO, who indicated that, to his knowledge, the works associated with the contracts had already been carried out by another company. “We indicated to him that, no, we did not execute the contract,” Roache said.
The companies had maintained regular contact with the ministry and NAREI and had visited the relevant offices at least once or twice a month, making it unlikely that the authorities were unable to reach them, she noted. So they are now seeking to determine what happened to the contracts and whether the works were subsequently carried out by another contractor.
The companies have also sought clarification from NPTAB on whether the publication of their awards was the result of an error, but NPTAB made it clear that there had been no mistake in publishing the companies as successful bidders and that no correction had been issued.
Roache said the companies are now awaiting a response from the PPC and, depending on the outcome, could pursue legal action. “Upon advice, we were told to send a complaint to the Public Procurement Commission,” she said. “So we’re waiting to hear back from the Public Procurement Commission. And if it’s not satisfactory to us, then we’re going to move to the courts.”
The Public Procurement Commission has not been reconstituted since its life expired. A secretariat is in place.
The issue involves more than $610.6 million in fertilizer contracts awarded by the Ministry of Agriculture after a procurement exercise for the supply and delivery of granular urea and 15:15:15 NPK fertilizer to Regions One to 10.
Documents identify the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), under the Ministry of Agriculture, as the procuring entity. The tender called for the supply of 13,750 metric tonnes of granular urea and 2,000 metric tonnes of 15:15:15 NPK fertilizer across 10 lots.
The tender closed on January 21, 2025, while the awards were subsequently published on the NPTAB website on November 21, 2025.
AR Total Logistics Solutions Inc. was identified as the successful bidder for Lot 6, valued at $558.125 million, while Impeccable Construction & General Supplies Inc. was identified as the successful bidder for four other lots with a combined value of $52.5 million.
AR Total Logistics Solutions says it submitted bids for all 10 lots and was subsequently identified as the successful bidder for Lot 6.
After learning of the published award, the company says it contacted the Ministry of Agriculture to determine when the contract would be available for signing and when it could begin fulfilling its obligations.
In anticipation of the contract being executed, AR Total Logistics says it engaged suppliers and transportation providers and made other logistical arrangements based on the quantities and delivery requirements associated with Lot 6.
The company says the continued absence of a signed contract has resulted in financial uncertainty and loss of a business opportunity, including profits it had anticipated from the $558.125 million award.
Roache said the companies cannot simply allow the matter to remain unresolved because preparing bids and making the necessary logistical arrangements involve significant expenditure. “It’s not a case where we can just sit back and allow this to go without any proper explanation or any compensation,” she said.
Kiskadee Watch contacted Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, along with the NPTAB office for comment but was unsuccessful.
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Guyanese can now enter Saudi Arabia with e-visa
https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/guyanese-can-now-enter-saudi-arabia-with-e-visa/
Guyanese can now enter Saudi Arabia with e-visa
Guyanese passport holders can now travel to Saudi Arabia using an electronic visa or visa on arrival without first having to hold a valid United States, United Kingdom or Schengen visa, President Irfaan Ali announced last night.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the change makes Guyana the only country in South America whose passport holders can access Saudi Arabia under the simplified arrangement without having one of those third-country visas.
The ministry said the development follows intensified bilateral discussions between Guyana and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with both countries seeking to expand cooperation in trade, economic partnerships, investment and tourism while strengthening people-to-people ties.
Previously, Guyanese passport holders seeking a Saudi e-visa or visa on arrival were required to have a valid US, UK or Schengen visa in their passport.
The ministry said Guyanese travellers will now be able to apply for the Saudi e-visa or obtain a visa on arrival using their Guyanese passport and paying the required visa fee. The new arrangement is expected to make travel easier for Guyanese visiting Saudi Arabia for Umrah, tourism, family visits or other purposes, while also eliminating the need to use an agent or visit a Saudi embassy to obtain the visa.
The government described the development as significant for Guyana-Saudi relations, saying it is expected to further promote and consolidate bilateral ties.
The announcement comes shortly after Ali met Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir in New York on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The September 22 meeting at Guyana’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations focused on advancing investment cooperation and strengthening relations between the two countries.
Further, the government and the Saudi Fund for Development signed two loan agreements in 2023 totalling US$150 million. One US$100 million facility was intended to finance roads, water, electricity and other infrastructure associated with approximately 2,500 housing units across three regions, while another US$50 million was allocated for a new four-lane bridge at Wismar, Linden.
The first phase of the Saudi-financed housing programme was subsequently launched at Leonora East on the West Coast Demerara, while the Wismar bridge was reported to be nearing completion in December 2025.
Saudi Arabia has also shown interest in expanding cooperation with Guyana beyond development financing. Al-Jubeir visited Guyana earlier this year for an energy conference, where he expressed Saudi Arabia’s interest in investment, knowledge-sharing and responsible energy development.
The Guyanese government has also committed land for the establishment of a Saudi embassy in Guyana. The government said the new visa arrangement is both a practical travel benefit for Guyanese and a further indication of the strengthening relationship between Georgetown and Riyadh.
The government also said it remains focused on upgrading features of Guyana’s Machine Readable Passports to ensure they remain consistent with international standards and requirements.
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Continued US$ shortage reflected in Western Union limits, UGGI survey
https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/continued-us-shortage-reflected-in-western-union-limits-uggi-survey/
Continued US$ shortage reflected in Western Union limits, UGGI survey
The shortage of US currency continues to affect access to foreign exchange in Guyana, with a Western Union representative sharing on Friday that several locations are now reaching their daily limits by late morning and that some limits have recently been reduced in the face of the continuing foreign exchange situation.
The representative told Kiskadee Watch that the limits vary by location and that most locations reach their daily limit by around 11 a.m. or noon.
She noted that some locations had higher limits in the past, but those limits have since been reduced due to the current foreign exchange situation. Some Western Union locations, she noted, reach their limits even earlier because of their popularity or location.
Two leading cambios in Georgetown on Friday quoted different rates for US currency, but both reflected the continued tightness in the foreign exchange market. One cambio was buying US dollars at $230 and selling them at $233, while another was buying at $233 and selling at $240.
The rates remain substantially above Guyana’s formal exchange rate of about $209 to US$1, particularly on the selling side. The latest findings are consistent with data from the University of Guyana Green Institute (UGGI), which found that the median rate in the parallel foreign exchange market increased to $238.30 per US$1 in September, from $236.75 in August.
UGGI’s September survey also recorded a mean rate of $238.27, compared with $237.22 in August, while the most frequently reported rate increased from $236.50 to $239.20.
The survey recorded September rates ranging from $235.40 to$241.10. The 25th percentile was $236.70 and the 75th percentile $239.80, producing an interquartile range of $3.10.
Meanwhile, UGGI cautioned that its survey is not intended to produce statistically representative estimates of foreign exchange rates, but rather provides indicative evidence of pricing conditions and market sentiment across transaction channels.
The latest developments follow months of reports by businesses and individuals of difficulties obtaining US dollars through the formal banking system.
In August, some customers reported waiting for weeks for foreign exchange transactions to be processed through commercial banks. One customer said a wire transfer initiated in July was held for about a month because US currency was unavailable, forcing the person to cancel the transaction and make alternative arrangements for travel. That customer also reported sourcing US dollars at $238 per US$1 at the time.
A businessman from a local cambio had told Kiskadee Watch that he was not experiencing a shortage of US dollars at the cambio, although he said the situation could be different at commercial banks. He had reported rates around $237 per US$1, with the price varying according to the denomination of the US notes.
President Irfaan Ali had disclosed in September that outstanding demand for foreign currency in the banking system was just over US$200 million, noting that commercial banks had reported that unmet requests were being carried forward from month to month because they could not satisfy all the demand.
He also said commercial banks purchased US$2.279 billion in foreign currency during the first half of 2026, compared with US$1.798 billion during the corresponding period in 2025, while Bank of Guyana foreign exchange injections increased from US$642 million to US$836 million over the same period.
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Discussion