AFTER repeatedly issuing warnings over the years to errant dealers against the importation and or exportation of agricultural products without the necessary prerequisite documentation, the National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO) under the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) will be stepping up enforcement against noncompliant entities.

NPPO on Thursday issued a public advisory reminding dealers that the importation and or exportation of “fresh fruits, vegetables, plants and plant parts, cut flowers, timber and timber products, etcetera,” cannot be done without applying for permission from the NPPO, as mandated in the Plant Protection Act, 2011.

“We would’ve given persons time to come into compliance. We would’ve been talking to individual importers and exporters advising them. Even though we would’ve spoken to them a couple of years ago, some of them are still not compliant,” explained NAREI’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer and the head of the NPPO, Brian Sears.

“They would export and import agricultural commodities without getting our permission. Sometimes this also would slip through GRA. We would’ve written to GRA a couple of times informing them of the law and that soon we will be enforcing the Act.”

Sears noted that while in the past NPPO would simply confiscate non-compliant products, stiffer penalties can be instigated against transgressing individuals.

“What we would’ve done in the past is that we would’ve paid unannounced visits to supermarkets, shops and public markets, and we would be familiar with the commodities that we would’ve granted permission to import and those that we would’ve found we had not granted permission for, we would’ve seized, confiscate and destroy them. This time there are serious penalties. I think up to three years imprisonment, [or] $80,000 [fine] if you import without our permission,” Sears explained.

Errant individuals only represent a small fraction of those agricultural importers/exporters, however, Sears said they cannot be allowed to continue due to the risks it poses.
“It is less than five percent of the importing and exporting population,” Sears related.

“But especially exporting without that particular documentation could cause some problems for Guyana. It would mean that Guyana is not in compliance with the importing requirements of the country. There are some serious dangers to importing without our permission because you could import commodities with pest and disease and that could put a strain on the national budget in terms of getting those under control.”

Sears reminded dealers that even persons leaving the country with small amounts of personal agricultural commodities need to have documentation for those items.
“Even if it’s a passenger apple or banana in a hand bag, if they leave Guyana with anything, even one fruit, that fruit is taken away if they take it into the United States or any other country because those countries would’ve already enforced their plant protection legislation, and their law says that you must not take these things without permission. The same goes for importing agricultural commodities. You must inform us before you import, or intend to import. You get the documents in place and then you import,” Sears pointed out.

Those wishing to legally import or export agricultural products can easily get the necessary documentation, Sears says it’s a quick and easy process once the items are presented.
“We have officers and offices at all of the port of entry. So they can visit the office and quickly right there on the spot they can be given the document once they present the item they intend to take with them,” he urged.