– Minister of GovernanceBy Kiana Wilburg Excessive wealth from the developing oil sector of some nations can be a blessing or a curse. As such,Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotmanthe announcement by ExxonMobil Corporation of its recent oil discovery in significant quantities at the Stabroek Block, just about 120 miles offshore Guyana, has prompted many shouts of glory and growing concerns.Business commentator Rawle Lucas contended in this recent writings that oil brings great potential for corruption. The pursuit in developing the sector, he said, will present Guyana with some new risks and challenges in management.He stressed that throughout this process,Discount NHL Jerseys For Sale, Guyanese must guard against the risk of corruption by holding their new leaders in A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) accountable.But Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman is adamant that “no matter how great the temptation, the new administration will not allow itself to be cursed”.Trotman, who was recently appointed to oversee the natural resources sector, said that everything will be done in their power to build “corruption-proof” systems so that the wealth accumulated from the use of oil will be managed and distributed in accordance with international best practices.“We are aware of all the pitfalls that excessive wealth brings and this is based on the examples we have observed from around the world, where countries mismanaged such wealth. But the APNU+AFC government will be careful.”The politician said that the new administration is “very interested” in getting Guyana into the Extracted Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) which is an international organization that accesses the levels of transparency in oil, gas and mineral resources for countries.This is overseen by a multi-stakeholder Board, consisting of representatives from governments,Cheap Jerseys Wholesale, extractives companies, civil society organizations, institutional investors and international organizations.In fact, Trotman disclosed that Guyana has already sent in an application to be a member and is working along with the Canadian government in this regard.With regard to policies for the sector, the Minister said that the government has written to the University of Calgary in Canada which has a school of Public Policy.He said that the school has happily agreed to work along with Guyana to develop strong policies and deal with issues relating to the Sovereign Wealth Fund.This Fund, according to President David Granger, will be established to serve as the “oil-chest” where surpluses from that sector will be stored to safeguard the development of the future generation.Trotman said that officials from the school will assist in ensuring transparency with regard to the Fund, and help to insulate it from any form of corruption.He said, too,Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys, that the school is looking to hold a seminar to start preparing for the flow of wealth to come, while other steps are in place to support this kind of activity.In his interview with this newspaper on Sunday, he intimated that the new administration is also in close contact with the American Embassy in Guyana and the Department of Energy in the United States.He said that the Granger-led government will be receiving a briefing from them on how to manage the sector from an anti-corruption perspective.Trotman noted that the previous Natural Resources Ministry did work with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on oil policies. He said that those agencies have committed to continue working along with them.“We want to ensure that the policy-making aspect is guaranteed and is strong. We are not waiting until we start extracting oil by the barrels then to be hurrying to develop policies. And that is why we are starting now. We want to be insulated from corruption which cursed other countries. We are looking to build armour to protect against any attempt at corruption, so as to ensure that the wealth is distributed equitably,” the Minister expressed.He said,NFL Jerseys From China, too, that the executive officials of ExxonMobil Corporation are expected to be in Guyana in June to lend further support to the development of Guyana’s oil sector.President David Granger told this newspaper that he is elated at the “good news” from the company, and articulated that it means an even better future for “our children”. He noted however, that the mining sector has some elements of “lawlessness.”“It is one of the reasons why I decided to ensure that the natural resources are under the Ministry of the Presidency…We are looking for a policy which ensures the sustainable exploitation of minerals and we want to design a more compreh