HGP Nightly News – Guyana’s labour laws are undergoing a comprehensive review as the Government moves to close regulatory gaps amid the rapid expansion of new industries.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall disclosed that local and international experts are examining the existing framework and identifying areas requiring reform.
Former President of Trinidad and Tobago’s Industrial Court, Justice Deborah Thomas-Felix, is involved in the exercise alongside an expert from the International Labour Organization.
“They are looking at the current landscape. They are identifying the gaps,” Nandlall said during his “Issues in the News” programme.
Their findings will be presented in a report containing recommendations, including possible legislative changes.
Consultations are already underway with government agencies, the private sector and civil society.
Occupational health and safety laws are also under scrutiny.
Nandlall said stronger regulations are particularly important in new and emerging industries where Guyana has limited or, in some cases, no relevant regulatory framework.
The review forms part of a wider examination of several major pieces of Guyana’s regulatory system.
Immigration and citizenship laws are also being reviewed by the Attorney General’s Chambers in collaboration with the Ministries of Labour and Manpower Planning, Home Affairs, and Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
According to Nandlall, the Government is examining possible tighter controls over the acquisition of citizenship and greater regulation of property ownership involving non-citizens.
He noted, however, that parts of Guyana’s citizenship framework are constitutional and cannot be changed through ordinary legislation.
Nandlall said the process will involve consultation before proposed reforms are advanced.
