-country has absorptive capacity – Minister Rohee
GOVERNMENT has continually responded to the needs of the people and has put several measures in place for effective economic growth,
and the 2011 budget allocation of $161.4B is testimony of this commitment. During a discussion programme at the studios of the National Communications Network (NCN) with Editor-in-Chief, Michael
Gordon and Minister within the Ministry of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsarran and Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, the latter found
issue with the views being expressed within the media that the budget is an election budget.
“If you present a budget in March, by the time you actually get down to procedural issues you are implementing sometime
in June/July. Now we’ve learned from that experience and we felt that this year we must come early, not because this year is an
election year but because … the system is now geared to present a budget much earlier than we did in the past,” the Minister pointed
out.
He noted that it is also being bandied about in society that the country doesn’t have the absorptive capacity for a
budget this size, adding that it does indeed have the capacity as the country is growing with the economy expanding and the rapid
developments in human resources.
“I would give short shrift to this view…because the experience has shown in the past that we have spent the money and
that we can spend the money and we will spend the money because the people of this country deserve what this budget has in it for
them and we shouldn’t short change them,” Minister Rohee stressed.

SECURITY SECTOR
The allocation for the security sector is $15.9B and many transformative plans are in store for changing the landscape of
justice in Guyana.
“When you go through the speech, you can’t help but conclude that this is a thinking government. I make that point
because some people feel that this Government is bereft of ideas, that this Government is bereft of innovative and creative
initiatives,” Minister Rohee said.
He noted that in terms of the health sector, a lot has been accomplished and the same is being manifested in the security
sector.
“We are now going to build a state of the art forensic laboratory; we’re going to be establishing the Houses of Justice
across the country, together with the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.”
The minister added that there are many issues in the security sector that are being looked at.
“The CCTV cameras, the establishment of the National Intelligence Agency among other things, we are going to be buying
more equipment for the police, more vehicles for the police, computerization, we are going to the cutting edge within the security
sector,” he said.
He added that it is not just what Government is doing this year, but what it has been doing over the years, which will
bring enormous benefits to the people.

Changes are taking place in all the sectors and will benefit all in the country, the minister said.
“An educated population helps us in the security sector … because when you go out to recruit people we are recruiting
educated people. A healthy population is good for the security sector, because when you go out to recruit people we are recruiting
healthy people.”
He noted that almost all of the sectors benefit from security, adding that proper roads and bridges add tremendously to
the sector, as they support the necessary linkages whether in the interior or the coastland.  Street lighting, he stressed, adds to
the security sector, as it is a deterrent to criminal activity.
“I am satisfied with what we’ve gotten for the security sector, I believe we have the absorptive capacity –
notwithstanding the criticisms that people have been making, that is to say, that we have been investing billions in the security
sector and we are not seeing the results,” the minister asserted.
He stated that when compared to the past, much advancement has been made in securing the nation.
“Some people don’t like to talk about the past, but we have to talk about that past, because scientifically we have to
make the comparative analysis. How can you compare the health sector today… we have to compare it with what was there before, we have
to compare the security sector with what was there before in order to get an objective assessment of whether you’re making progress
or not,” the minister pointed out.
He added that for persons who ask the question that Government is investing billions in the sectors and no progress is
taking place, “I believe they have scales over their eyes.”
Minister Rohee said government intends to continue the journey into the future.
“I look towards the future generation … the young people of tomorrow stand to benefit enormously not only from this
budget but from what the PPP/Civic has been doing for the country over the years,” he said.