Govt to expand ban on plastic usage by 2020 – Jordan

…as Green Expo opens

As the inaugural Green Expo kicked off on Thursday at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara, Finance Minister Winston Jordan reiterated that the coalition Government plans to implement a ban on more plastic products by 2020.
Jordan was at the time addressing a gathering at the Ramada Hotel, also in Providence, at the opening ceremony of the inaugural Green Expo.
He said, “Having banned the use of certain plastic products in 2016, our Government is committed to ban even more by 2020”.
The Minister noted the importance of imposing a ban on certain plastic products, as they are hazardous to human and marine life. Various agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have been lobbying for a ban to be

imposed on single use plastics.
In August, as part of World Earth Day, a number of supermarkets partnered with the EPA to reduce the use of single use plastic bags as they introduce reusable shopping bags.
Meanwhile, over 130 exhibitors at the Stadium are gearing themselves for three packed days of questions and sharing samples of their products as the first ever Green Expo gets underway.
The expo and summit are being held under the theme “Sustainable economic growth through small businesses innovation, entrepreneurship and transformative Government policies”.
The expo, which winds down on Saturday, is opened to the public from 14:00h daily with the intention of promoting innovation and driving Guyana towards the Green State Development Strategy.
According to Minister Jordan, “This expo and summit brings together business experts from Guyana and around the world to educate and inspire local businesses to adopt new technologies and good practices that are necessary to build business resilience and competitiveness”.
He added that the expo will undoubtedly create opportunities for networking and facilitate trade at the same time to benefit locals.
The MP pulled out a pack of straws made of bamboo while explaining to the

gathering that much can be done with the material, by young entrepreneurs.
The Business Minister endorsed the importance of the summit in helping small businesses. “This event that we are opening today (Thursday) is an important one for the country. It is also an important one for businesses, especially small businesses because businesses that understand where Guyana is heading over the next two decades will make better decisions than those who do not,” he added.
Further, he pointed out the importance of small businesses understanding how the Green State Development Strategy will affect their sector and as such noted that the Government has made it more affordable to invest in renewable energy solutions by removing import duties on renewable energy generating equipment, which makes the decision to invest in green energy a great one for businesses in the long-term.

No gasoline car
Nevertheless, a car powered by Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) was on display at the exposition. This vehicle is powered by a new gas being distributed and marketed by Massy services, which happens to be the same type of gas used for domestic purposes.
Hekima Paul, an employee at Massy told the Guyana Times that the gas is more feasible and safe. Paul explained that cars are currently being modified to use this type of gas as it is safer for the environment and the user.
According to him, persons can save as much as $10,000 in fuel as customers can get 30 miles per gallon. Extra cash can also be saved as the car requires less maintenance, in terms of servicing.
Another great feature of the car is that it was designed for impact and in the case of an accident, it will absorb the impact while in some cases, a gas tank might explode, as was explained by another employee, Robert Hong.
He said, “If there is a problem where somebody gets into an accident, the driver can electronically shut off the gas from inside the car… to prevent gas from going more to the engine. Regular vehicles do not generally have a cut-off switch for their cars”. (Davina Ramdass)