The Ministry of Home affairs has reported that during a visit to Region Eight in March, a team of representatives from the Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons (MTFTIP) found labour violations which led to charges being made against the person involved.In a press release issued today, the Ministry said that the team visited Mahdia, as well as surrounding areas, from March 27 to March 29, 2015, to conduct surveillance on suspicious business establishments and other locations in the area.The visit was conducted as part of the implementation of the National Action Plan for 2014-2015 of the task force.The release added that the team did encounter labour violations involving two women, one under-aged and one adult, who were employed at a shop. The owners of that shop were charged with employing a child on a premises; selling intoxicating liquor contrary to Section 52 of the Protection of Children Act No. 17 of 2009 and placed before the Courts.The Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security commenced the provision of psychosocial support to the under-aged female.While in Mahdia, the team made extensive efforts to obtain information from Police Officers, Mines Officers,NFL Jerseys Wholesale, villagers, shop owners and Toshaos in and around the community about suspicious activities in the area.It also surveyed several night entertainment spots in the area, inclusive of those that demanded special attention as a result of information received by the Task Force. While women were witnessed frequenting these locations, investigations revealed that patrons of the aforementioned business premises were above the age of 18 years.The Task Force also visited 17 business establishments in Central Mahdia, St. Elisabeth, Pamela Landing, Jumbie Creek, 35 Backdam, Konawaruk Junction and Micobie and questioned the owners and other individuals present on the premises.At each of the locations, shop owners were requested to produce their business registration documents and state their number of employees. Employees were requested to produce their identification cards for name and age verification along with work permits.Employees’ interviews were not conducted in the presence of employers. All buildings were inspected by the team inclusive of the shops and domestic quarters.The findings of the Task Force on its visit to Mahdia are in sharp contrast with sentiments attributed to Simona Broomes, the Head of the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO) in an article featured on page 3A of the February 15, 2015 edition of the Stabroek News titled ‘Child Care Agency rescues girl being pimped by her mother’.The release noted that it is evident that members of the GWMO seek to automatically apply the term ‘trafficking in persons’ in all instances, when they encounter minors or young adult females in interior regions. The Task Force has repeatedly sought to distinguish between terms such as ‘child labour’, ‘prostitution’ and ‘trafficking in persons’ in its awareness sessions and workshops as they are respectively unique in nature.In addition to the activity in Region Eight, and in keeping with the aforementioned National Action Plan, the Task Force from January 2014 to date has conducted community and secondary schools trafficking in person’s awareness activities in Regions Two, Four, Six, Seven, Eight, and Nine.The Task Force also deployed its ‘Surprise Inspection Framework (SIF)’ in business establishments, including shops, night spots and other locations in Central Georgetown, East Bank and East Coast Demerara in Region Four; Mahaicony, Rosignol and Blairmont in Region Five; Corentyne Coast in Region Six; Bartica, Tamakay Landing and Backdam, Itaballi and 14 Miles Issano in Region Seven; Lethem in Region Nine and Linden in Region Ten.The release concluded that in light of the foregoing, it must be noted that the Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons respects the right of non-governmental organisations to operate independently, but wishes to reiterate its willingness to collaborate with any such organisation to reduce the incidence of trafficking in persons in Guyana. (GINA)
