Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha yesterday refused to name the holders of two controversial trawler licences even though he was specifically asked about this in a question lodged with Parliament.
APNU+AFC Member of Parliament Khemraj Ramjattan had tabled four questions in the House seeking clarification on the issuance of the licences amid discontent in the fishing sector.
Ramjattan had asked “To whom were the two new trawler licences issued to for years 2020-2021 by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries Department? Was there any due diligence conducted on these licence(s)? If there was any such due diligence done, could the Minister provide copies to this Honourable House of the said due diligence Report(s)? And was the Guyana Association of Trawler Owners and Seafood Processors Association (GATOSP) consulted in any way prior to the grant of the two trawler licences?”