People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary and Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has dismissed the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) 20-point plan for the oil and gas sector, calling it a document that lacks substance and real commitment to policies. According to Jagdeo, the plan, which outlines what the PNCR would do if elected to office, is nothing more than a response to pressure with no clear strategy or originality.
Speaking at a press conference held at Freedom House on Thursday, Dr. Jagdeo said: “This is useless; totally useless document that they launched this week… Their 20-point plan for oil and gas… but they [PNCR] are under pressure to say something, but they have nothing to say so that they will put out this garbage. It has nothing; nothing specific; they are just writing like its academia.”
Dr. Jagdeo described the PNCR’s plan as an “elaborate con,” emphasizing that governing a country requires more than just putting words on paper. He further criticized the document for lacking both originality and firm commitments, noting: “In the 20-point plan, they have 12 that are about feasibility studies and review. So, no commitment to nothing. We will do feasibility studies. If we [PNCR] come into office, we’ll do feasibility studies and review.”
While some have praised the plan as a “great” document, Dr Jagdeo maintained that it is void of specifics. He said, “Of the 20 points, I’ll give them credit for the way it looks. Nothing; nothing here! Zero originality, as we predicted.”
In contrast, Dr Jagdeo highlighted the PPP’s achievements in government, stating that his party presented clear policy proposals while in opposition and has since followed through on those promises. He outlined the PPP’s approach: “In our manifesto, we made it clear what we will do… We said we are going to move to auction blocks, moving away from the first-come-first-served basis on which licences in the oil and gas sector were awarded in the past; we did that. We said we will pass a Local Content Act; we did that. We said we would review the NRF; we did that. We said we will pass a new Petroleum Activities Act, updating the 1986 one; we did that. We said we would strengthen the environmental permits; we did that in every case. We said we will publish all of the permits; we did that, both the licences and the permits, as well as the agreements we signed… We said we will pass a new PSA; we did that. I can go down a long list.”
Dr Jagdeo further dissected the PNCR’s plan, stating, “It’s either review or feasibility study; no commitment to doing anything yet. Two other paragraphs are duplications, so that is 14 points gone. And the agreements themselves, they are committing to review; not to re-negotiate again.”
Dr Jagdeo emphasized that under the PPP/C administration, the oil and gas industry is being managed prudently, with the sector’s gains being used to improve the lives of all Guyanese. He also highlighted the difference between the current management of oil revenues and the approach of the previous APNU+AFC Coalition government. Under the NRF Act of 2021, a Board of Directors oversees the National Resource Fund (NRF) management, ensuring transparency and compliance with policies and laws.
The government has also amended the NRF Act to require annual parliamentary approval for any withdrawals from the fund, bolstering accountability. Moreover, significant updates have been made to the Petroleum Activities Bill and the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement, all to secure more substantial benefits for Guyana.
Another key accomplishment under the PPP/C government has been the passage of the Local Content Act in 2021. According to Dr Jagdeo, this legislation has created procurement opportunities for thousands of Guyanese companies, boosting local capacity in the rapidly growing oil sector.