CITIZENS on Thursday were urged to “gear up” for an amnesty, which is aimed at getting unlicensed guns off the streets to the police, says Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan.He told reporters on Thursday at his Lot 10 Brickdam office that the initiative will take place during the first 100 days of the new Government, and will be executed simultaneously with public education on the issue.

Ramjattan said the input of the commissioner of police on the matter is pertinent and his return from an overseas training course is being awaited before the gun amnesty period is implemented.

He stated that the issue may very well require the input of experts to decide on the feasibility of this initiative, pointing to the difference in the Guyanese culture.

Ramjattan said, “Our country may have a different culture and we will have to decide how they are going to hand in the guns.”

The minister added that some people may seek incentives for handing in weapons, but whether this will be done, or whether citizens should be urged to submit their guns or face stiffer penalties if they fail to utilise the amnesty period, will have to be considered.

He said, “All of that is part and parcel of my projected plans for the next couple of months… but indeed we are going to grant an amnesty so they can start their collection and bring it to the nearest police station.”

Ramjattan stated that so far he has not reviewed the policy pertaining to the granting of licences which would have been under the previous administration, but he has requested the information from the relevant staffers.

He explained that he is, however, moving towards removing the ministerial role in the granting of gun licences and handing it over to technocrats. During the previous administration, a recommendation had been made by the police commissioner, but then Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee had established a Firearms Licensing Approval Board that had the final say.

Ramjattan said, “I would like more technocrats inside of here doing that rather than the minister. And I would want to see that being drifted away. I want to concern myself with policy matters rather than going through gun licence applications, and all the other documentation. That is not a ministerial function. Ministerial functions are largely to do with policies and so we get the technocrat people to grant the licences.”

He told reporters on Thursday that similarly, technocrats will deal with other matters such as work permits and visa applications.

Ramjattan said, “The former Administration had a minister that literally went through every single one and dealt directly with some of these applicants rather than get a set of people to do the work at the administrative level.”

He noted that the gun- licensing board which was developed under the former regime will also be reviewed, as he looks to clean up the operations of current systems.