President Dr. Irfaan Ali has announced that the Government is reviewing its laws on littering, with a focus on leveraging camera technology to catch offenders and impose stricter penalties — part of a broader push to instil greater environmental responsibility across the country.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event at Camp Ayanganna on Wednesday, President Ali said he has already directed Attorney General Anil Nandlall to review all rules and legislation governing littering, with amendments to be prepared for Parliament.
“On the issue of garbage and littering, I have asked the Attorney General to review all the rules and laws to reflect the change in landscape of our security, and that is the use of camera evidence against persons who are littering. I have asked him to have all of these amendments ready for Parliament because these are key and critical,” President Ali said.
Littering is currently a punishable offence under the Environmental Protection (Litter Enforcement) Regulations 2013. Under the existing framework, individuals found littering in a public place face a fine of $50,000, while companies can be fined $100,000.
The President stressed that seemingly minor issues such as littering are in fact critical to the development of a well-functioning and disciplined society.
“We can’t develop a society without care and without attention. These, what some may believe are small details, are very important details,” he said.
President Ali also linked environmental stewardship directly to Guyana’s broader national ambitions, arguing that a country aspiring to lead in tourism, technology, food, and energy must also lead by example when it comes to quality of life and conscience.
“If our society is to be disciplined and if we want to create a Guyana that would be a leader in tourism, technology, food, energy, we must be a leader with conscience, with humanity, and with a sense of environmental stewardship and a quality of life that is second to none,” he said.
