The Government is preparing a sweeping package of legislative reforms aimed at curbing noise nuisance, indecent and vulgar music, littering and the improper disposal of garbage, while simultaneously overhauling Guyana’s occupational health and safety laws to better reflect the country’s rapidly expanding economy.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Mohabir Anil Nandlall, S.C., announced the planned reforms during his weekly Issues in the News programme, describing them as part of a broader legislative agenda intended to modernise Guyana’s legal framework and address several long-standing public concerns.
“We are coming out with a large menu of legislative amendments to deal with noise nuisance, indecent and vulgar music, as well as littering and the deposit of large volumes of garbage. It is going to be a comprehensive set of measures that will treat with all of these matters,” Nandlall said.
While outlining the government’s plans, the Attorney General made no mention of whether the proposed legislation—which could directly affect households, businesses, entertainment venues, event promoters, vendors and communities across the country—will be subjected to nationwide public consultation before being introduced in the National Assembly.
The government has also remained silent on whether local democratic organs, business groups, environmental organisations, labour representatives and other stakeholders will be invited to review and provide input on the proposals before they become law.
The measures seek to address issues that extend beyond public inconvenience and carry significant health and environmental implications.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified environmental noise as a major public health concern, warning that prolonged exposure to excessive noise can contribute to hearing impairment, sleep disturbance, stress, impaired cognitive performance, hypertension and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The agency has described environmental noise as one of the leading environmental risks to human health.
Similarly, public health experts have long cautioned that the accumulation and improper disposal of garbage creates breeding grounds for mosquitoes, rodents and other disease vectors, produces foul odours, contaminates land and waterways, clogs drainage systems, contributes to flooding and increases the risk of communicable diseases.
Beyond public nuisance issues, the Attorney General said the government is also undertaking a comprehensive review of Guyana’s occupational health and safety legislation, describing the existing framework as outdated and no longer capable of effectively regulating today’s workplaces.
Nandlall said the country’s laws have failed to keep pace with the rapid expansion of the construction, infrastructure and oil and gas industries, where increasingly complex worksites require stronger legal safeguards.
He noted that major infrastructure projects, including the construction of the new Demerara River Bridge, together with the emergence of the oil and gas sector, have fundamentally transformed workplace environments and introduced new risks for employers, employees, contractors and members of the public.
International findings underscore the importance of stronger workplace protections. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), nearly three million people die each year from work-related accidents and diseases worldwide, while hundreds of millions more suffer non-fatal occupational injuries. The ILO estimates that poor occupational safety and health practices result in economic losses equivalent to almost four per cent of global gross domestic product annually through lost productivity, medical costs and compensation.
The Attorney General said Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning Keoma Griffith will spearhead the occupational health and safety reforms, with legal and technical support from the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Parliamentary Drafting Division.
Once completed, the proposed legislative package is expected to modernise Guyana’s occupational health and safety framework while strengthening the country’s legal tools to address noise pollution, littering and the improper disposal of waste.
Whether citizens will have an opportunity to scrutinise and comment on the proposals before they are debated and enacted in Parliament, however, remains unanswered.
