Dear Editor,
The pages of two of Guyana’s newspapers are awash with hostility towards foreign investors in this country.
Only Tuesday, one notable critic of FDI carried out a massive but uncalled-for attack against Mr. Alistair Routledge, calling on the Exxon head here to answer questions posed by another personality from that ambiguous entity called civil society. It appears that, for professional reasons, the author of that piece likes to attack big people like Jagdeo and Routledge, in order to get lots of attention.
These are basically click-bait articles that serve no other purpose than to get overexcited development deniers to click on the piece to carry up readership counts. That is good for the advertising business.
Mr. Routledge should understand that the vast majority of Guyanese stand with the oil and gas industry. We know it took billions upon billions exploring for the oil and gas in a frontier environment where the risks were incredibly high.
The APNU-AFC signed a contract which the PPP and the people wish were more in favour of this country, but we also work with the norms of international law. Contracts are contracts. That is why future PSAs have been refashioned.
That also is why we developed a comprehensive Local Content regime, and are doing deep training in order to monitor every aspect of the oil and gas sector.
Mr. Routledge should not allow himself to be harassed. Those doing the harassing should consider abandoning their campaign of vilification.
Sincerely,
Dr Randy Persaud
