PRESIDENT, Dr Irfaan Ali is livid that persons who play an integral role in the submission of Guyana’s report to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) have seemingly lapsed on their duty to ensure Guyana’s timely submission of the report that is essential to that monitoring mechanism.
Guyana has now been suspended from the EITI, sparking concern from the President who reinforced Guyana’s commitment to transparency and accountability in the natural resource sector.
The President made these remarks during an impromptu public address streamed on Facebook.
“We will spare no effort in advancing transparency and accountability,” Dr Ali maintained, going as far as to stress that Guyana is the first country to legislate mandatory jail sentence for non-disclosures associated with the oil and gas sector.
Turning attention to what appears to have been a series of administrative faux pas, President Ali said, “I have made it clear that it is unacceptable to have a delay in the submissions of our report.”
“Notwithstanding the fact that an extension was given by EITI Secretariat to May this year to have that report completed, we still should have been in a position to have that report submitted,” Dr Ali sternly stressed
The President noted, further, that there were a number of issues which prevented the data collection process for the report, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the flooding of Guyana’s forests and hinterland.
Notwithstanding these events, the President said an independent administrator was hired to complete the report that is now the subject of the suspension.
“For four months,” President Ali bemoaned, “the Multi-Stakeholder Group, MSG, had the ToR [Terms of Reference] for this administrator on pause.
“They did not approve the ToR for the administrator. This begs the question whether there are persons in that group with ulterior motives.
“Now, after four months, the ToR has been agreed upon with two persons abstaining. This is unacceptable to put a country reporting framework at stake, and to try and damage the government’s credibility is not being a good citizen.”
Proffering the solution on the way forward, Dr Ali said the ToR now has full approval, and work can continue to complete the report which, he committed, will be done expeditiously, long in advance of the extended period that was approved by the EITI Secretariat. ‘
While media reports have carried that Guyana has been suspended from the EITI, President Ali noted in his public remarks that Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat has communicated to him that there will be an extension for submission which was approved by the EITI Secretariat.
“Guyana stands committed to working with the EITI Secretariat to fulfill the mandate,” the President maintained, adding that Guyana will strengthen the MSG to ensure the credibility and work in relation to transparency and accountability of the country’s natural resource sector is not affected by ulterior motives or desires.
President Ali sought to reassure Guyanese that there are circumstances surrounding the preparation of the report, and noted further that those circumstances will not be tolerated nor accepted. “One or two persons cannot drag an entire country and its credibility,” the President chided, noting that those persons will be exposed and held accountable.
