Natural Resources Ministry official blamed wrongfully for reducing audit costs- Norton

Last Updated on Friday, 6 October 2023, 15:57 by Denis Chabrol

Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton on Friday assailed government for punishing a public servant while the political policymakers refused to take blame for negotiating the reduction of US$214 million in audit costs to US$3 million with Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), the local subsidiary of ExxonMobil.

Mr Norton disagreed with Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat’s announcement that Senior Petroleum Coordinator, Gopnauth “Bobby” Gossai would be disciplined for negotiating reductions to to USD$11,497,140 then further down to USD$3,414,853.68 without the involvement of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

“This is dealing with what we will get as profits. That surely cannot be left to a public servant. It has to be the responsibility of the political government. The public servants give technical and other support so to blame Mr Gossai really and truly is throwing him under the bus,”  the Opposition Leader told a news conference.

For his part, Mr Gossai on Friday declined to comment on the matter at this time when contacted.

Mr Norton accused the government of attempting to conceal corruption but it was Stabroek News newspaper and the opposition that broke the story. A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) parliamentarian David Patterson had said that in a meeting between opposition representatives and officials of ExxonMobil Guyana, the supermajor said it had negotiated the cost down to US$3 million.

According to the Opposition Leader, APNU+AFC was mulling a number of parliamentary and legal options against that failed effort to “siphon off” resources that belong to Guyanese.

Minister Bharrat said the Guyana government’s position has always been that the GRA would handle all audit matters solely and the Ministry of Natural Resources would be responsible for overseeing the process of conducting the audit in keeping the Production Sharing Agreement, as well as, to facilitate the exchange of information and documentation among the relevant parties, including the GRA.

According t0 Mr Bharrat, further, systems would be put in place to ensure no repetition of this lapse in the future. Also, he said staff members would be asked to make full disclosure with all contact and sharing of information with stakeholders in the sector.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo is on record as saying that government was prepared to take the dispute over the validity of US$214 million of the US$1.67 billion spent on exploration and exploitation in the Stabroek Block to arbitration. Based on the 50/50 split of cost of oil between government and ExxonMobil and its co-venturers, if Guyana gets its way in arbitration it will be credited US$107 million.