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The President is the Minister of the Environment

Sep 30, 2008 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
I refer to the article in the Kaieteur News of Sunday, September 28, 2008 in The Freddie Kissoon Column on “The EPA, micro-management and the EPA.” and would like to correct some misinformation contained in the said article.

Contrary to what is stated in the article, the President is the Minister of the Environment, and it is unfortunate and surprising that Mr. Freddie Kissoon has failed to recognise this.

As Minister of the Environment, the President is entitled to engage the staff of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in discussions regarding its functioning.

Section 8, Part111 of the Environmental Protection Act, No. 11 of 1996 explicitly states that, “The Minister may give directions for the organisation of the Agency to enable it to discharge its functions under this Act, including the size of the establishment, the employment of staff and the terms thereof, the provision of equipment, and funds; and the Agency shall comply with such directions.”

In Section 4(1) (m) (n), Part11 of the said Act, the functions of the Agency are clearly stipulated, and include the need for the Agency to advise the minister on “the criteria and thresholds of activity for specifying what may amount to a significant effect on the environment” and on “matters of general policy relating to the protection, conservation and care of the environment and the impact of development”.

These legislative requirements necessitate interaction of the minister with staff of the Agency. The meeting of the staff of the Agency with the President, as subject Minister of the Environment, was therefore perfectly legitimate and should by no means be construed as micro-management. I wish to state categorically that the President is absolutely not engaged in micro-managing the EPA.

There is no opportunity for micro-management in the functioning of the Agency, given its nature, structure and operations.

The Agency is governed, as provided for under the Environmental Protection Act, No. 11 of 1996, by a Board of Directors which oversees its operations, including approval of budgets, work plans, programmes, environmental policies, provision of guidance on matters related to the protection of the environment, proposition of environmental laws and regulations to the minister, etc.

In addition, there is an Environmental Assessment Board which is provided for under the Environmental Protection Act, No. 11 of 1996, and which functions with independence in its deliberations, recommendations and advice to the management of the Agency.

The Agency is well-structured, with an Executive Director serving as Chief Executive Officer, and Directors for each of four divisions for the programme areas of environmental management, natural resources management, education, information and training, and administration and finance.

The mandate of the Agency is discharged in accordance with its legislation, prescribed and established principles, rules, systems, processes and procedures, and public participation in its decision-making in critical areas.

Having regard to the specific, detailed and necessary requirements with which the Agency must comply, and the mechanisms for doing so, the issue of micro-management does not feature in the Agency.

I do not know from where Mr. Kissoon got his information, as reflected in his article referred to above, but he ought to be better informed and more careful, and could have sought clarification at my level, rather than publishing an article with such misinformation.

Mr. Kissoon or anyone else who would wish to be apprised of the role and functioning of the Agency and matters related thereto could visit the Agency’s website at www.epaguyana.org for informative documentation.
Doorga Persaud
Executive Director, EPA

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