The government is seeking to reduce shipping costs as persistent delays at ports continue to drive up expenses for businesses.
At the centre of the issue is demurrage, the fees charged when cargo is not cleared within a set timeframe.
To address the challenge, authorities are proposing to extend “free days” from the current seven to 12 days, and up to 21 days before charges apply. The proposal was discussed at a stakeholder consultation hosted by the Maritime Administration Department on Monday.
Vice President of the Guyana Customs House Brokers and Clerks Association, Christopher Matthias, outlined several delay issues faced by brokers which contribute to demurrage.
“One of the challenges faced by brokers would be the timely receipt of documentation from the shipping lines… and there are several persons, or shipping lines or agents, who don’t give you that until the vessel arrives in Guyana,” he said.
He added that unclear timelines and inconsistent practices are further compounding the problem.
Public Utilities Minister Deodat Indar noted that a surge in port activity is also placing pressure on the system, with vessel calls increasing by 65 per cent over the past five years.
“In 2020, we had 2,513 vessels making port calls. At the end of 2025, that figure went up to 3,700 — a 65 per cent increase. So you will end up with scheduling issues, slot issues, and it causes big problems,” he said.
Indar added that while Guyana has 24 ISPS-certified ports, only 11 are capable of handling international commercial traffic, creating bottlenecks that contribute to delays.
Stakeholders agreed that addressing demurrage will be key to improving efficiency and reducing the cost of doing business.
