". . . . if the contract lasts for forty years, no changes to the tax laws that are adverse to the interest of the oil companies will apply to them".

The person(s) who negotiated this contract on behalf of GoG was a mole planted by the Oil Company. I will bet my last dollar on the assertion I just made.

' Minister Trotman is not known to possess any expertise in international or petroleum law but by this insertion is leading the country into dangerous, unchartered waters.'
Except the one seat majority in Parliament which is no longer a 'one seat monster dictatorship majority' since the table turn.

As it relates to the clauses concerning the remedial action necessary to negate the negative impacts of legislation on Exxon's income, this contract is no different from contracts foreign companies/investors sign with governments everywhere. In fact, investors would be idiots not to write such assurances into their contracts. I'm sure that the local investors in the Berbice Bridge were very careful to insert such language to protect their promised returns. Thus Ram is not making any kind of revelation to informed folks like me as I fully expected to see such language in the contract.

However, I'm very bothered by the omission of the annexes and call upon the government to release same without delay.

I also call upon the government to immediately and unambiguously state whether or not Guyana received or is scheduled to receive another two million dollars as a result of this 2016 contract.

With regard to Trotman' s apparent starring role in this contract, I am reserving judgment because I don't know if there was, in movie parlance, a body double when it came to the areas in which Trotman is clearly not trained or capable. It is for Trotman and the government to immediately state if Trotman was assisted by qualified consultants in those areas.

I'd also like to point out that Trotman's announced plan to reduce his own power is nothing but empty rhetoric. After all, the Exxon contract already locks Exxon into dealing directly with the minister, so the creation of a petroleum commission is unlikely to force Exxon to deal with the commission, as that would be an unacceptable unilateral change in a term of the contract.

The views expressed above represent my current position on the contract and its disclosure. I will not waste time arguing that the government could have/should have gotten a better deal. For given the particular set of circumstances, we got what we got. So, it is what it is.

Hey, weren't we all forced by circumstances to accept a less-than-ideal job or pay offer? Or less-than-ideal cellphone contract? Or less-than-ideal apartment lease? Or less-than-ideal car loan? Or less-than-ideal mortgage? Or less-than-ideal cable/satellite tv contract? Or less-than-ideal price for a plane ticket?

Let's hope that, as we all do in our personal situations, the government will do better the next time. Why is it possible to do better the mext time? Because, unlike at this signing, there will be more oil compamies exploring and likely willing to take over should Exxon implicitly or explicitly threaten to walk away.

Yep, our government will play them just as we play those who compete for our business, whenever there is competition.

GO Chris, educate and expose

I didn't hear and read anything from CleveM maybe busy reading and trying to make sense out of this wusy wasy kuntract give away that Runman finalized which most noticeable exempt de Oil companies of directly paying taxes in lieu of de country getting part of the profits.

If the ordinary Guyanese man making around $50,000.00 has to pay taxes why would they allow the oil companies to get away.

I would like for some expert on this site to convince me what Guyana is getting in profits supersedes taxes in quantum.

I honestly believe Mr. Ram has Guyana's best interest at heart but I don't believe he knows what he doesn't know. In this article he seems to present himself as the expert in business, international law, contract negotiations, and oil and gas exploration and extraction. I couldn't find one positive thing about a contract that has survived and been managed by 4 presidents (Janet Jagan, Jagdeo, Ramotar, and now Granger). All of them got it wrong and failed to see what Mr. Ram sees?

I am even puzzled that Mr. Ram thinks "...the arbitrators would have to take account of international law and rules, customs, practice and usages of the international petroleum industry" is dangerous.......... What law does he believe in?....... Why does he seem to believe international law and its arbitrators are also in on the "scheme" to steal Guyana's oil?..

At some point Mr. Ram has to demonstrate that he trusts people other than himself if he wants the world to function. In this oil find he trusts nobody

I couldn't agree more with you Cummins but at the same time trust has taken a beating in Guyana for the last fifty years. So it is understandable that Mr. Ram, like all of us, would be skeptical in trusting those who manage the country's affairs.

Arent ya glad the small-boy ex-president vindictive wife abuser Jagdeo is not the current President ?

"Minister Trotman is not known to possess any expertise in international or petroleum law but by this insertion is leading the country into dangerous, unchartered waters". Yet Janet Jagan framed the original contract that is still being utilised as of now and she had no expertise in international or petroleum law. For the record Minister Trotman has earned a Masters of Law (LL.M) International Relations, Security and Economics Development, from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He is "fit and proper".

LOL. Seems like Mr. Ram has adopted the attitude and temperament of Anil Nandalall. He seem to be at war with Mr. Trotman for some strange reason, the same way Anil is at war with Minister of legal Affairs - Mr. Williams.

CHRIS - RAMS TROTMAN - ONLY Minister TROTMAN, the Environment ans Natural Resources Minister, can answer Christopher Ram's concluding question in his article: "there is another US$2 million in some bank account. Any guess?
This is about $400 million Guyana dollars, according to Christopher Ram, that maybe thatched away for safe keeping by some one.
Mr. Ram seems to know what most of us dont know and as a good citizen, he must share with us all that he knows. He and many others have done a fantastic amount of work to highlight the intricate aspects of our oil and gas industry.
Guyanese aught to be very sceptical about the explorers of our natural resources, the sell off of our nature resources to FOREIGN companies at huge loss to the citizens of our country. We need to be extremely VIGILANT to prevent this sell off.

No one would say Chris is not doing an excellent job but he needs to be less confrontational and present only the facts to the Guyanese public and let us drive the political and social narrative.