With support from the PNCR-IG and GAP/ROAR the National Assembly yesterday passed the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control (Amendment) Bill, amending the 2000 legislation, to provide for the control of pesticides and toxic chemicals for export among other things.
Closing the debate on the Bill in Parliament, Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud noted the concerns of the opposition, particularly those raised by GAP-ROAR MP Everall Franklin. Persaud announced that in another two months’ time the government would be operationalising a $150 million laboratory for testing the quality of pesticides and toxic chemicals.
He noted, too, the concerns raised about chemicals being used in the production of agricultural products and the Ministry of Agriculture’s objective of developing an organic foods sector with Region One (Barima/Waini) being targeted as the organic capital of the country.
Piloting the bill, Persaud said the new piece of legislation would give the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board the responsibility for making arrangements and providing facilities for controlling the export of pesticides and toxic chemicals. The board would certify all pesticides and toxic chemicals for export for a prescribed fee, and it would receive applications for and issue the necessary licences.
He said the amendments enable implementation of the obligations of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides in international trade.
The amendments would also allow the board to request information of any person, where it believes, on reasonable ground, that it is necessary to obtain such information in compliance with the obligations under the Convention. The Rotterdam Convention became legally binding to its parties in 2004 to promote shared responsibilities in relation to importation of hazardous chemicals.
Supporting the bill during the debate, Franklin said any bill that comes before the National Assembly which protects citizens is a good bill. However, he expressed concern that most of the pesticides and toxic chemicals listed as banned by the developed countries or on which there were restrictions were nevertheless exported to developing countries. He said some of these items may very well be used in the agricultural or processing industries and their residual effects could have adverse repercussions, including health-related, for citizens.
He gave the example where in large-scale agricultural production of rice the chemicals used could have side effects, which could lead to kidney failure or depression and subsequently suicide. “We don’t know but it is worth checking out,” he said.
In addition, he said agricultural produce would be tested for export and could be found to have banned substances, which would not allow for export.
Noting that Guyana was an importer at this stage and not an exporter, he was of the view that the developing countries were actually protecting themselves through the Rotterdam Convention.
Also speaking in support of the bill were Dr George Norton of the PNCR-IG and Minister in the Ministry of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran.
Though he did not express support for the bill, AFC MP Khemraj Ramjattan noted the need for the board to do quality testing.
Meanwhile, two motions scheduled to come before the House yesterday were deferr-ed. The motions were to be moved by Leader of the Opposition Robert Corbin and AFC MP Raphael Trotman, but they were deferred because both were out of the country.
Corbin was to move a motion on the introduction of the Value Added Tax; and Trotman’s was on an amendment to Standing Order 10, which deals with suspensions during long sessions of Parliament.
