Ramjattan threatens to revoke licences of businesses guilty of noise nuisance

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan on Thursday threatened to revoke the licenses of businesses that are found guilty of noise nuisance.
This approach will be taken as Government amplifies efforts to clamp down on the issue that has been permeating society for decades. Ramjattan made this comment at a noise management training session for officers of the Guyana Police Force.

Last year, the Police received over 300 complaints of noise nuisance and for 2019 so far, some 105 complaints were made to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). When it comes to penalties, however, the numbers are low.
As such, Ramjattan believes there needs to be stricter consequences to discourage business operators from breaking the law and disturbing the peace.
“We want this to be dealt with, you have to deal with them in a variety of ways too, not only prosecution and conviction for the various provisions that make it a criminal offence, but we have to literally sometimes work as a task force utilising other methods and one such methods is to take the profit out of this illegality, that means, that we have to de-register them”, Ramjattan warned.
In fact, the Minister even suggested that businesses comply with certain criteria before being issued a licence to operate.
“Make it a condition that before you continue to do your bar services or whatever it is that we are going to make it a condition that you must adhere to certain noise level and the minute you breach it, we can take that away, that licence. So, then we won’t have to get all the witnesses to line up in a Magistrates’ Court and then you have the lawyers coming and for long adjournments and so on and the frustration that occurs with prosecution. We can do other things and that is what I want also to be placed on the table”, Ramjattan highlighted.
Last year, several Police officers underwent training to deal with this particular issue, which is a crime under the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act.
The act states, “No person shall, in any road, street, public space, or land, or in any building or premises, by operating or causing or suffering to be operated by any stereo set, juke box, radio, wireless loud speaker, gramophone, amplifier, automatic piano or similar instrument of music, or by any means whatsoever, make or cause or suffer to be made any noise which shall be so loud and so continuous or repetitive as to cause a nuisance to occupants of any premises in the neighbourhood”.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, another batch of officers began similar training. In October, another group of ranks will be trained as the Police Force continues to clamp down on the issue.
Section 175 of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act makes it a crime to produce any noise which is so loud, continuous or repetitive to cause a nuisance.