When it resumes work this month, the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources is set to focus on the working conditions and security of small-scale mining workers, oversight of Guyana’s oil and gas sector and ExxonMobil’s operations and earnings among other areas.
We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Member of Parliament (MP) and committee member Dr Ryan Richards believes that the committee should prioritise issues affecting workers in Guyana’s mining sector and that particular attention should be paid to the working conditions of Guyanese employed by mining companies.
He called attention to the reports received by the committee that have raised concerns about the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), food and other working conditions.
Speaking with Kiskadee Watch last week, Richards is proposing that the committee engage the companies to address those concerns and ensure that workers’ welfare is adequately considered. He also identified the oil sector as another area requiring attention, noting that Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat had previously raised the possibility of ExxonMobil appearing before the committee to provide information on its operations.
According to Richards, while an attempt had reportedly been made in the past to have ExxonMobil appear before the committee, it was not successful. He said he would like to see the company’s executives engage with the committee in the interest of transparency and accountability and provide a formal report on developments in the oil sector.
Richards also highlighted concerns about the pay of workers operating in Guyana’s interior regions, saying consideration should be given to the additional risks associated with such employment. He said workers in the interior can face hazards including dangerous wildlife and other risks that are not encountered to the same extent by employees working in Georgetown and other urban areas.
Further, Richards said the committee could consider discussions with the Ministry of Labour on whether workers in high-risk interior locations should receive additional compensation, such as a risk allowance or adjustments to their pay scales.
Minister Bharrat told Kiskadee Watch that the committee has agreed to dedicate its next three meetings to the country’s three main natural resource sectors – oil and gas, mining and forestry.
He shared that he will make presentations on each sector and take questions from members of the committee to ensure that they are updated on developments, noting that this approach was agreed upon by all committee members at their last meeting.
Also speaking with Kiskadee Watch, another committee member, WIN MP Odessa Primus shared some similar sentiments, noting that the committee is expected to focus on a range of issues affecting Guyana’s mining sector, particularly the challenges facing small-scale miners.
She noted that the committee members are currently engaging small-scale miners to identify and compile the challenges they face before determining how those issues should be addressed. Among the issues raised are the process for registering and obtaining documentation required to continue their operations.
Primus observed that miners are now required to provide extensive documentation, in a process that is similar to requirements imposed on larger companies. She said the concern is not necessarily the documentation itself, but the process involved in obtaining it.
According to Primus, if new requirements are introduced, there should be adequate engagement with miners to determine whether they are prepared to meet those requirements, along with centralised locations where they can obtain assistance. She said many small-scale miners have been unable to operate for extended periods while trying to determine what documents are required, where to obtain them and how to complete the process.
Primus also identified land-related disputes as another concern raised by miners, noting that miners have complained about their lands being seized while other individuals are subsequently allowed to operate on those lands, with some miners allegedly facing charges when they attempt to address the situation.
She also highlighted security as a major concern among small-scale miners, citing reports of robberies and people being killed in interior locations. Miners, she said, have expressed concerns about their safety while operating in remote areas and believe more attention needs to be paid to security in those locations.
Meanwhile, APNU Member of Parliament Sharma Solomon, who was elected Vice Chairman of the committee, told Kiskadee Watch that several priority areas have been identified to be considered when the committee resumes its work.
Share of earnings, new contracts
Solomon said the committee has agreed to hold three meetings before the end of 2026, beginning in October and continuing through November and December, noting that members are reviewing the previous committee’s work programme while identifying additional areas of interest for consideration.
Among the issues he identified are Guyana’s oil and gas sector, the Natural Resource Fund, ExxonMobil’s operations and the country’s earnings from petroleum production. He said recent developments in the oil sector, including ExxonMobil’s declarations, have raised questions about Guyana’s position in relation to its share of earnings, new contracts and other aspects of the country’s petroleum arrangements.
Solomon said the committee intends to examine where Guyana stands now that ExxonMobil has entered the profit area of its operations.
The Gas-to-Energy project is also expected to receive attention, particularly regarding discussions surrounding developments in Region Six and the Berbice area. Solomon said the committee intends to visit the Wales area to examine the project and also plans to visit an ExxonMobil rig as part of its oversight work.
The committee will also examine contracts across the natural resources sector, including agreements relating to oil, gas, energy and mining. He said attention will also be paid to several large-scale mining operations expected to come on stream in Regions Seven and Eight.
According to Solomon, the committee has not yet seen the contracts for some of those operations and intends to request access to them and potentially visit the locations.
Further, he said uranium mining is another issue the committee is expected to examine, especially as questions were raised about the country’s preparedness and position regarding uranium mining.
He also raised concerns about the Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GYEITI), particularly Guyana’s participation on the international board and concerns over the independence of the tripartite process involving government, the private sector and civil society.
Solomon said he is concerned about government dominance in representation within GYEITI and argued that the initiative’s independence is important because it provides oversight of the natural resources sector.
The treatment of small-scale miners and the issue of Amerindian lands are also expected to feature prominently in the committee’s work. Solomon said the committee has received complaints from small miners about access to mining concessions and alleged incursions into Amerindian lands. He also pointed to concerns about disparities between small miners and larger mining companies in access to concessions.
Solomon also raised concerns about oil exploration, particularly plans relating to the Takutu Basin, noting that the committee had previously asked about whether the government intended to pursue oil exploration in the Takutu Basin in the Rupununi, and the response at the time was that there were no such plans.
According to Solomon, a subsequent announcement indicated that the government was considering the area and would consult communities as part of efforts to explore its resource potential. He said the opposition is not opposed to the development of natural resources, including oil and gas, but wants greater attention paid to the manner in which such development is pursued.
The other committee members include Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar, Minister in the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development Pauline Sukhai, Minister within the Ministry of Housing Vanessa Benn, and MP Thandi McAllister (Alternate). WIN MP Dr. Andre Lewis was also on the committee but he has since resigned.
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