The Guyana government says it will continue to cover funeral and burial expenses and provide immediate assistance to families affected by the M.V. Barima tragedy, with any decision on compensation to be made only after an independent Commission of Inquiry (COI) completes its work.
Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips said the government’s immediate priority is supporting grieving families and completing the rescue and recovery operation.
‘The focus now is not on compensation. The focus is on recovering bodies, financing the burial and funeral rites, and providing whatever assistance the families need now,’ Phillips told a news conference on Wednesday.