GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali on Friday announced the establishment of a Safety and Compliance Audit Team that will conduct a comprehensive review of the safety and compliance standards governing marine vessels operating in Guyana.

Ali said that the establishment of the new team forms part of the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen maritime safety and prevent future tragedies.

The move comes in the wake of the July 18 sinking of the MV Barima, which according to officials manifest, was carrying 179 passengers and crew as it made its way from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, a small village within the Barima-Waini administrative region of the country.