President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali says entertainment businesses could soon access financing through the Guyana Development Bank (GDB) to invest in noise-proofing materials, with many communities voicing complaints about the negative impact of noise nuisance.
Responding to questions at his press conference on Tuesday at the Office of the President, the president acknowledged that noise nuisance has come up repeatedly during public consultations and is affecting citizens’ quality of life.
“Noise nuisance is affecting the quality of life of people. And we have to address it in a way that allows the entertainment sector and allow people to have a quality of life, but at the same time, does not destroy the businesses,” he said.
For already-established bars and nightclubs, the president said an option under consideration is having operators use GDB financing, once the bank is operational, to enclose their facilities with noise-proof material.
For open-air venues, President Ali said the government is working with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set up a monitoring mechanism that would alert operators and patrons to noise levels, allowing for self-regulation before matters escalate to police involvement.
“Self regulation is important in any country. Before you go to the police and everything else, self-regulation is important,” he said.
In addition, a multi-region task force has been established following the consultations to examine the issue in collaboration with the Guyana Police Force (GPF), noting that a lack of police responsiveness to noise complaints at the community level has been a recurring concern raised by residents.