Free Gas or Costly Lie? Questions Mount Over Hidden Exxon Agreement

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo says there is no agreement for Guyana to buy gas from ExxonMobil. According to him, the gas for the Wales Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project is “free.” That claim, however, raises more questions than it answers—especially in a context where the government continues to withhold the very documents that could settle the issue once and for all.

If the gas is truly free, where are the agreements to prove it?
For years, the public has been told that the viability of the GTE project rests heavily on this “free gas” arrangement. It was the cornerstone of the promise: cheaper electricity, reduced dependence on heavy fuel oil, and long-term energy stability. But now, credible reports suggest that a Gas Sales Agreement may exist—one that could mean Guyana is paying for its own resource. The government denies this, yet refuses to produce the contracts.
That contradiction is not just troubling—it is unacceptable.
This is not a minor administrative matter. The financial structure of the GTE project will determine electricity tariffs, potential subsidies, and the long-term burden on taxpayers. If Guyana is required to pay commercial rates for gas, the entire economic foundation of the project shifts.

Will electricity still be cut by 50 percent? Or will citizens be forced to subsidize a project they were told would save them money?
The public cannot be expected to rely on verbal assurances while critical documents remain hidden.
Former Finance Minister Winston Jordan is right to demand clarity. If there is no agreement to purchase gas, then publish the evidence. If there is, then explain why the narrative has changed. Either way, the government has an obligation to come clean.
The continued secrecy surrounding the GTE project fuels speculation, erodes trust, and undermines confidence in public management of the country’s most significant energy initiative.

This is not about politics. It is about transparency, accountability, and the responsible management of national resources.
Guyana’s citizens do not need snippets, soundbites, or selective disclosures. They need the full picture.

Publish the agreements. Let the facts speak.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣-𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 , 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄𝙣 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.— ✦—