GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The Guyana government says it is nearing completion of the country’s oil spill legislation.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SCAttorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC says the final draft is almost completed.
“The work is significantly completed. There is one part of the bill that I would like to relook at. And I plan to do it before the end of the year,” he told reporters, adding that the legislation will outline the state’s responsibilities and those responsible for an oil spill, whether they are companies operating in the sector or a shipping company.
Nandlall said the new legislation will strengthen the government’s capacity to ensure full liability coverage and guide its preparation, planning and response in the event of an oil spill.
He told reporters that the bill is a multi-stakeholder initiative and involves the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Environmental Protection Agencies and the Civil Defence Commission.
The first draft of the bill had received input from several other key state agencies, including the Maritime Administration Association (MARAD).
The government has been adamant that while there are already several measures in place to address any potential oil spill, it is necessary to implement more comprehensive and robust legislation..
The government is also amending the Integrity Commission Act to clamp down on persons who refuse to honestly declare their assets and Nandlall said that this process is also nearing completion.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, said recently that the amendments will establish formal guidelines for electronic declarations and implement advanced cybersecurity technology to safeguard uploaded data.
Additionally, the government plans to strengthen certain elements of the reporting mechanism and is exploring stricter penalties for those who fail to comply.
The Integrity Commission Act was enacted in 1997 to deter corruption, promote transparency and accountability in public life. The Integrity Commission is an independent body deemed responsible for overseeing and enforcing the Act.
Meanwhile, Nandlall says the comprehensive law revision process is expected to be completed by June 2025, noting that the last law revision process was conducted in 2012.
“The deadline that I have from the Law Revision Centre is June of next year. So by July, hopefully we should be launching it,” Nandlall said.
He said law revision is an important element in ensuring that Guyana’s laws remain consistent and efficient. The process ensures that the laws keep pace with societal changes, technological advancements and emerging challenges.
Nandlall acknowledged there were some delays in the process, but emphasised the massive scope of work that the process entails.
“We have been passing a lot of laws and a lot of work in the 2012 version was not completed. We had to first…make corrections. Because of that period – from 1977 to 2012 – to cover that expanse was a Herculean task. Naturally errors were made, omissions were made, and we had to first correct them.”
The Attorney General said the company conducting the revision process -the Regional Revision Centre Inc. in Anguilla – is the only facility of its kind in the Caribbean, and their workload is massive.
“We have to wait on their workload. That they’re the only centre that offers this service in the entire region. So, you could imagine their agenda. So that has led to a delay,” he said.
The covers for these volumes have already been procured, and once completed, the revised laws will also be made available in soft copy or electronic format.
Guyana’s law reports are also slated to be completed by June 2025 with Nandlall noting that Guyana has one of the oldest law reporting systems when compared to the rest of the Caribbean, with reports dating back to the 18th century.
“What we are completing now is from 2008 to 2022. All the major decisions. That again is another massive undertaking,” he added.
