The government has issued an amended notice on the appointment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) board, correcting conflicting dates contained in an earlier notice but offering no explanation for the change.
The amended notice, dated August 27, states that the board has been appointed for one year, from October 28, 2026 to October 27, 2027.
It supersedes a Cabinet decision dated August 18 which said that the board had been appointed for one year with effect from October 28, 2025 to October 27, 2027—a period of two years.
The new notice follows a report by Kiskadee Watch which highlighted the discrepancy and noted that the earlier appointment had been gazetted almost ten months after its stated commencement.
The amended notice does not say whether the conflicting dates prompted its issuance. Neither does it explain the status or legal authority of the board between October 28, 2025 and the new commencement date of October 28, 2026.
The composition remains unchanged, with Omkar Lochan as Chairman and Karen Roopchand as Vice-Chairperson.
The other members are Dr Bendita Latchmansingh, Dion Inniss, Eon Boyal, Desmond Sears and Dr Josh Kanhai, along with representatives of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and the Guyana Forestry Commission.
According to the notice, Cabinet considered a memorandum submitted by the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance before approving the appointments. The EPA falls within the presidential sector.
Lochan, the Head of Policy Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of Natural Resources, has chaired the EPA board for several years.
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