GOVERNMENT has waived the application fee for firearm licences for Amerindians and will return to them guns turned over during last year’s gun amnesty programme, Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman has announced. Trotman during a post-cabinet press briefing on Wednesday told reporters that during September 1 to October 14, 2015, when the firearms amnesty was instituted, many Amerindians who had unlicensed firearms surrendered them to the relevant authorities with the expectation that they would be considered for firearm licences.
“Since then, the lack of firearms has created hardships for some communities, whose residents are unable to hunt and whose crops are being damaged by roving animals including wild hogs; and we are told of increased incidents of attacks by jaguars.”
As a result, the minister said Cabinet has agreed to the non-destruction of the firearms retrieved during the amnesty and “to the return of firearms to indigenous persons who surrendered their weapons during the firearms amnesty and to issue licences to them.”
He said too that the firearms licence application process would be waived to expedite the granting of the licences to indigenous communities.
When asked what justification could be given by government for its decision, Minister Trotman said the justification would be that the subject minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, has the power to make such decisions. “Indigenous people voluntarily coming forward with shotguns with [the] belief that they were respecting the law and at the same time with the expectation that the law would recognise that they had a legitimate need, that they would protect life and property and that the government would accept that some consideration would be given to them.”
Minister Trotman said the APNU+AFC administration made a promise to the indigenous people that they would “look into their matters and I think we are keeping that promise.” He added that the firearms will be restored through the village council system. “We are not waiving the granting of licences, we are waiving the application fees, which is within the remit of the minister,” Trotman added.