President Irfaan Ali has announced the establishment of a three-member Safety and Compliance Audit Team to conduct a comprehensive review of the standards governing vessels operating in Guyana, in the wake of the MV Barima tragedy.
In a statement, Ali said the initiative forms part of the government’s continuing efforts to strengthen maritime safety and prevent a recurrence of the July 18 disaster.
The team comprises former Maritime Administration Department Director-General Dr Ivor English; Colonel Julius Skeete from the Guyana Defence Force; and Marine Officer and Surveyor of Ships Captain Joseph Lewis.
According to the President, the members possess technical expertise and practical experience in marine administration, maritime operations and the inspection and surveying of vessels.
“The Team will examine compliance with applicable maritime safety requirements and make recommendations to strengthen oversight, improve enforcement and ensure that our vessels, operators and regulatory systems meet the highest practicable standards of safety and accountability,” Ali said.
No timeframe was given for the completion of the audit or the submission of the team’s recommendations. The President’s statement also did not indicate whether its report would be made public.
The announcement comes almost two weeks after the 87-year-old, state-operated MV Barima capsized and sank on July 18 while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma. Seventy-three bodies have since been recovered, 76 persons were rescued and many remain unaccounted for.
The ferry was reported to be overloaded and Minister of Public Works Juan Edgill had admitted that the passenger and load manifests were not accurate and as such there is no definitive report on how many persons were on the ferry and the amount of load it had.
A survivor, Daniel Modeste, had told Kiskadee Watch that the vessel had been overloaded when it sank off the Essequibo Coast.
Under pressure to disclose its cargo, the Ministry of Public Works subsequently listed an all-terrain vehicle, six drums of gasoline and four drums of diesel among the items consigned on its behalf
Kiskadee Watch also reported allegations by a former captain of the ferry about years of safety failures aboard the vessel.
Captain Kevin Price, Chief Mate Rondell Dwayne Roberts and Goods Superintendent Delon Granderson have since been charged with 73 counts of murder and remanded to prison.
The government has also appointed a five-member Commission of Inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the capsizing, including the vessel’s operation, maintenance, loading and regulatory oversight. Opposition parties, relatives and civil society groups have continued to call for an independent and transparent investigation and accountability at both the operational and ministerial levels.
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