Guyana’s maritime laws will undergo modification to meet modern international standards the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, SC, has disclosed.
The Attorney General on Tuesday told the News Room that with Guyana’s economy growing rapidly, the country’s existing maritime laws have to be examined to reflect international standards.
Notably with many recent accidents at the Demerara Harbour Bridge, it is important that public property is protected and the state’s interest is preserved and protected, therefore the Government has to examine existing laws and reform where necessary.
He said “we have to look into this area of maritime activity and the regulatory framework which exists in relation to our ports, in relation to the use of our rivers, the use of our ocean.
“It must be in keeping with international standards so that users of the waterways are protected. That’s the intent behind the law and to ensure that we police activities taking place in these areas of our country,” the AG said.
He mentioned that with the oil and gas sector creating massive interest in the country, many projects are being developed and these are not only on land. He said shore base facilities are being established and therefore it is important that laws change or new laws are implemented to meet the dynamism and evolution of the developing society.
The AG said, “Guyana is our oil producing country and obviously, we have to create the requisite legal and infrastructural framework and regulatory framework that would conduce to such an industry,”
“Not only because of the oil and gas industry, but because our economy is reaching new heights and there are a large increase in the type of economic activities taking place in the country, as well as the size of those activities.”
Further, Nandlall said the review of the regulatory and statutory framework will be examined and then the framework obtained in the Caribbean and other oil producing countries will be looked into before lawmakers will be able to decide on what laws must be reformed.
