Stakeholders are calling on government to remove fireworks from the hands of the public and place them in the hands of licensed professionals who could provide entertainment on special occasions only in controlled environments.

These were the main recommendations at the third public consultation for the Summary Offences (Amendment) Bill 2022, aka The Fireworks Bill, on Thursday.

Minister in the Ministry of Legal Affairs Renuka Sagramsingh-Sooklal said the bill had been drawn from recommendations made during a 2017 Joint Select Committee and a 2020 position paper by the Environmental Management Authority. She was joined on a panel by three members of the Law Reform Commission (LRC) : Gerard Ramroop, Samraj Harripaul, SC, and Chantelle Latchmansingh.

The main legislative amendments in the draft bill are: regulating the use of fireworks through a permit system; making breaches of the law a ticketable offence via a fixed penalty system; general provisions for permits to be granted to use fireworks; requirements to notify certain entities about the intended use of fireworks; the use of fireworks on specified days such as New Year's Eve without a permit; only people over the age of 18 being allowed to use fireworks; restrictions on the use of fireworks within half a mile of designated areas and for the relevant minister to make regulations.

Sagramsingh-Sooklal said the draft bill seeks to strike a balance between responsible use of fireworks and the peaceful enjoyment of property, public safety and the interests of the fireworks industry.

She said the purpose of the consultation was to gather the views of the public to the proposed legislation and incorporate them into the final draft legislation to be presented to Cabinet.

Fireworks Action Coalition representative Roger Marshall the proposed legislation contradicts previous recommendations.

'You are increasing the use of fireworks from what it is now. There is nothing in any previous recommendations that supports a free-for-all with fireworks. We recommend that fireworks should be taken out of the hands of the general public, since once you give them access, you can't control or enforce them. There should be commercial service suppliers for fireworks, with shows on approved occasions like independence, so we're not putting them out of business, they could be service providers for entertainment. People should be able to enjoy the beauty of the fireworks without the turmoil of the noise.'

He noted that noiseless fireworks were not strictly noiseless as they could produce sounds up to 70 decibels, so the noise levels would have to be regulated. He said fireworks shows should be held only at specific locations, preferably offshore, as anywhere there were fireworks, there would be death and harm. He invited members of the panel to accompany members of his organisation on their trips to collect carcasses of animals who would die after the fireworks which would take place for Independence celebrations.

Latchmansingh said the draft bill which had been pr