HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon announced that Cabinet has approved a two-pronged approach to address the restriction of the importation of ozone depleting substances.

In March, Cabinet adopted recommendations to enforce legislation aimed at ensuring Guyana’s compliance with its treaty obligations, namely, the Vienna Treaty and its Montreal Protocol.
This two-pronged approach would involve to a large extent, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) in the enforcement aspect.
Dr. Luncheon explained that the first prong would address the importation of new air conditioning units in Guyana. In this instance, new equipment that does not comply with the country’s treaty obligation would be seized and the gas will be retained by the GRA and subsequently re-exported to the supplier. Moreover, the cost of non-compliance will devolve on the importer.
The second aspect will deal with non-compliant air conditioning equipment that is already installed.
The installed equipment will not be subjected to retro-fitting exercise as those imported; rather, it will be subject to the gradual phasing out process. In the context of the non-production and non-importation of ozone depleting gases, Guyana is working on an incremental phasing out process for offending equipment by the end of 2040.
“The high cost of maintaining the installed air condition and utilisation of those gases that offend the treaty and its obligations…the phasing out process will see Guyana being fully compliant by the end of 2040,” the HPS stated.
GRA has been engaging business owners and retailers on this issue in an effort to acquaint them with Guyana’s treaty obligations. This awareness will continue.
The ozone layer acts like a shield in the upper atmosphere (stratosphere) to protect life on earth from harmful ultra-violet radiation. In 1987, leaders from many countries came together to sign a landmark environmental treaty, the Montreal Protocol, on substances that deplete the ozone layer.
Guyana acceded to the Vienna Convention and Montreal Protocol on August 12, 1993 and in October 1997, a country programme to phase out the use of Ozone Depleting Substances were prepared.
The country is among the few that has exceeded its obligations within the context of the Montreal Protocol which deals with the phasing out of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).