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Ram calls for dismissal of Exxon Guyana President over inaccurate profit reporting Oct 25, 2025 News (Kaieteur News) – Attorney-at-Law and chartered accountant, Christopher Ram has called for the dismissal of the president of ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), Alistair Routledge over his serial misrepresentations to the media and lack of transparency under his tenure. Ram in his weekly column, published on Friday by Stabroek News, exposed Routledge’s attempt at misleading the nation on the company’s earnings in Guyana. At a recent press conference, Routledge claimed, “…prior to 2023, we were not making profits here in Guyana, so there were no tax credits from that.” The chartered accountant however demonstrated, using Exxon’s audited financial statement, that Routledge manufactured those inaccurate remarks. Ram pointed out, “In truth, Exxon recorded profits of G$132 billion (2021) and G$637 billion (2022).” He even attached a screenshot of the company’s income statement to support his argument. Consequently, the lawyer reasoned, “For his serial misrepresentations to the Fourth Estate, Mr. Routledge has lost the confidence and respect of his hosts. Under his watch, ExxonMobil Guyana has resisted transparency, delayed relinquishment, and overseen the improper reduction of US $214 million in disallowed audit costs.” Ram was keen to note that an executive with such a pattern of mistrust in the United States (U.S.) would have been summoned before Congress or shown the door, whereas in Guyana, he remains a “guest of honour”. Ram therefore made it clear that Routledge should be dismissed for his inexplicable behaviour in Guyana. The lawyer also fired at Exxon’s Vice President and Business Services Manager, John Colling for what he described as repeated distortions and evasions, especially on the company’s financial reporting. Only on Friday it was reported that the Oil and Gas Governance Network (OGGN) demanded an apology and correction to the misleading statements made by Routledge with regard to the company’s profits. In a letter to this newspaper, Dr. Kenrick Hunte and other OGGN members highlighted, using the company’s financial statements, that Exxon recorded profits during the period Routledge claimed it did not. OGGN pointed out, “Financial filings in Guyana by ESSO Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (now EMGL) show income of GY$132 billion (US$681 million) and GY$578 billion (US$2.98 billion) for fiscal years 2021 and 2022, respectively.” The body therefore called on Routledge to correct his comments and clarify these discrepancies in the profit reporting and sharing. “The Guyanese people must not be misled,” the Network argued. The President of ExxonMobil Guyana made the inaccurate statements while explaining that the company did not seek any tax credits in the U.S., since it did not register a profit during that specific period. He explained, “Exxon Mobil Corporation in its 23, 24 tax filings, there were no Guyanese tax credits that were included in either of those filings and you will recall that, prior to 2023, we were not making profits here in Guyana, so there were no tax credits from that. So, from this point up until this point, there have been no Guyana tax credits that have been used by Exxon.” It was reported that Dr. Kenrick Hunte and Mike Persaud of OGGN met with Senators in the U.S. earlier this year to highlight the questionable tax practices the company is engaged in locally. The 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) states that Exxon and its Co-Venturers shall not pay taxes to the country. Guyana nonetheless issues a tax receipt, indicating that those obligations were met locally. The U.S. was therefore alarmed over the possibility of Exxon seeking huge tax credits, resulting in Americans subsidizing the company’s operations. Three U.S. Senators therefore requested clarity on Exxon’s Stabroek Block tax arrangements with the GoG. ExxonMobil was given an October 23, 2025 deadline to respond to several questions. EMGL did not respond to this newspaper’s request for an update on that matter. Alistair Routledge, Christopher Ram, dismissal, misleading, OGGN, reporting, taxes
