Speeches in the National Assembly

APPOINTMENT OF A COMMISSION OF INQUIRY TO INVESTIGATE THE INCIDENCE OF MARITIME AND RIVERINE INCIDENTS, INJURIES AND DEATHS
Mr. Ramjattan: I would be very shot too. I rise also to, at this stage, indicate that yes there is going to be need for the support of any commission of inquiry that would make recommendations for safe travel and the protection of life on the country’s waterways and coastal waters.
I was here - I think it was in 1998 - when we made big the issue as to seamen, mariners and the whole host that deal with the sea and ships... In a big debate then, the Guyana Shipping Bill was the issue. And indeed that regime covered in that Bill that became an Act dealt with a number of these matters and it created institutions, MARAD being one, and then statutised them all, gave then powers. But these largely dealt with ships that are powerful ships bringing in goods, passengers and so on. It did not, at that stage, deal specifically with what is at hand right now in this motion and that is from the Koweals to the balahoos right up to the more powerful speedboats that we have doing the transportation in and around the country.
What we do not see here is a set of provisions therein that will deal with this recommendation for safe travel in our riverine and coastal waters. I think that lacuna is what this motion seeks to get at. I want to make this point: to understand the state of affairs in any sphere of activity, the modern democracies would generally ask for a commission of inquiry. Whenever there is a sore issue - societal, economic, geographical or so on - you require a study before you get to the real bottom to what may be causing the lack of safety, so many deaths and so many collisions. I think that this motion is directing its attention largely to that. And so a commission of inquiry is the best place to start because largely it is the only place to start - a commission of inquiry in relation to deaths and, of course, to recommend safe travel and protection on the country’s waterways. We got the impression here from the Hon. Minister... And I must say that because of this motion I have learnt quite a bit as to what it is there are concerning institutions and departments and so on and what they are doing. I am glad that I have indeed sat here and listened to the Minister to the extent of learning these things. But more than that, it could very well be, too, that these institutions that we have legislated for may have certain deficits and deficiencies that a commission of inquiry can very well help us get information on so that we then can do the correct things to ensure that there are minimal deaths in our coastal waters and in our riverine transportation systems. That is important. So we must not simply say that whenever a sore issue arises in Guyana, the Opposition is calling for a commission of inquiry.
In 2012 alone, there were 25 deaths. In a few years before that, there were over 40 deaths and deaths generally demand some inquiry. In the Shipping Act, it states that there must be a preliminary inquiry into every death but that, as I said, was dealing with oceanic matters.   [An Hon. Member: No.]   It does. I am urging that that was the whole regime in relation to the Shipping Act. The definition here when you have to order these inquiries is in relation to ships.
What is a ship? It includes every description of vessel used in navigation, not propelled by oars. We have plenty balahoos that you have to use a paddle with. It excludes that. That is not a ship. Please, Mr. Minister, I know what I am saying. It states ships used in every description of vessel used in navigation and not propelled by oars. Whatever it is, I am saying that if there is a collision between two balahoos, you are not going to investigate that because that does not count.
In any event, a commission of inquiry is also going to give facts about what is the status of the entire MARAD, whether it has been doing its work or not, and ensuring a whole host of other things that could be done. Remember, when we passed this Shipping Act and we had set up MARAD, it took almost five years for MARAD to get into operation. Even in the Minister’s answer when he was asked the question by the Leader of the Opposition, he had indicated that although we had this Shipping Act of 1998, the Maritime Administration was only established in 2003. We pass a lot of Acts here and we do not get them to be operational, just like the Procurement Commission.
For the years 1999 to 2002, a compilation of data was not done. So we passed Acts and we did not even set up MARAD, and, even after we set up MARAD, there was no compilation of data. So please, we now have to have a commission of inquiry as to why and not because the Minister now has enlightened us - and I am very happy for that - that a lot has happened since necessarily means that we must not have a commission of inquiry into those institutions so as to know whether they are doing the safety regulations and all that this legislation or an amendment to it can help.
I also want to make the additional point that this motion, as I read it, is very non-contentious. It seeks to help our society in a big way because one less death could worth a commission of inquiry and we must understand that. So not because we had 25 last year and up until now we have 17 - 2013 to date... If there is something that a commission of inquiry could do to reduce even one, it will be worth the while. For that reason alone, this motion ought to be supported.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. [Applause]