President Dr. Irfaan Ali says the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the MV Barima tragedy is expected to begin its work on the ground in early September.
Speaking during a press conference on Tuesday, the Head of State said the CoI team is already in place and has started settling its procedures and work plan.
“The team is in place. They have started looking at their procedures, settling their procedures, and working out their work plan,” the President said. “From what I’m told, in early September, the actual work would commence here on the ground.”
The President made the disclosure while responding to questions from the media on the government’s handling of the MV Barima tragedy, including the Commission of Inquiry, support for affected families and calls for accountability.
The Guyanese Leader said government’s priority is to remain closely connected to all families impacted by the tragedy. He said this includes families who lost loved ones, families of persons who remain missing and families of persons who worked on the vessel.
According to the President, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Human Services are involved in maintaining contact with affected families, particularly where children, women and parents are concerned.
Ali said the government has also established the HEART Initiative as a long-term, multi-stakeholder support mechanism to address the immediate, medium and long-term needs of families.
He said the initiative includes legal support for families facing issues related to documentation and classification, as well as mental health, medical, counselling, spiritual and child-focused support.
Ali said officials are also examining whether there may be a need to establish a special home for children who may have been affected by the tragedy.
“So when I say long-term support, it is long-term support, looking at not the challenges for today and tomorrow, but the long-term challenges,” he said.
The President said the HEART Initiative is also examining material and financial needs, along with broader social, emotional, mental, medical and family support.
“They’re looking at social, emotional, mental, medical, family, everything, holistically,” Ali said.
He added that the initiative now has an outreach plan for every region and is building regional networks and support hubs to assist affected families closer to their communities.
Ali also said he has personally been trying to contact different families on a daily basis.
The President was also asked about public calls for action against Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and Minister Deodat Indar following the tragedy. Ali said he would not add to speculation and would allow the independent COI to conduct its work.
“I am not going to add to speculation or be part of speculation,” Ali said, adding that the COI was established to provide an independent and transparent analysis.
Ali said the Commission will conduct its work, make its determinations and recommendations, and government will then act based on those findings.
“The work of the COI is the work that I will base my action on when their recommendation comes to me,” he said.
He said government will not prejudice any action before the inquiry concludes, except for measures considered essential in the interim, including work to examine the safety of vessels and address current gaps immediately.
Ali said an independent team has already been established to review the safety of every vessel and identify gaps that must be fixed.
