GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Guyana’s government says it wants to make it clear that it does not operate a “flag of convenience for vessels” after the United States recently sanctioned five vessels registered under the Guyananese flag.

“The Government of Guyana makes it pellucid that there is no sinister plot afoot to operate or have a separate ship registry and Guyana does not, has not, and will not offer a flag of convenience for vessels. In this regard, it continues to take steps to protect the sovereignty and integrity of Guyana,” the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) said in a statement.

It followed media reports here that five oil tankers registered under the flag, linked to a Syrian conglomerate company in Iran and Syria, and connected to Venezuela, were sanctioned by the United States Treasury Department.

The MARAD said that these ships are not registered in Guyana and “thus, they are false and fraudulent registrations.”

“Guyana, through MARAD operates a closed registry. Therefore, the registration of vessels under the Guyana flag is limited to ships owned by Guyanese nationals, residents, citizens of Caribbean Community states (Caricom), and corporate bodies established under the laws of Guyana. None of the purported owners falls into any of these categories.” MARAD added.

It said that since 2021, incidences of false Guyana registrations have come to the fore and that the “perpetrators of this fraud have targeted several countries including Guyana, Panama, and regional states.”

“The Maritime Administration Department and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continue to share information on these false registrations which come into our possession, with all United Nations (UN) member states and relevant regional and international maritime associations.”

MARAD said that the “sanctions being applied by the United States, the United Kingdom and other western states are part of the said response to the threats posed by these false registrations”.