AS THE authorities work towards decentralising public services in 2017, immigration offices are expected to be opened in New Amsterdam and Linden.

As the estimates of the 2017 National Budget were considered in the National Assembly on Tuesday, Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix, said the sum of $50M has been set aside to cover the cost of constructing two buildings to be used as immigration offices in New Amsterdam and Linden.

He said the immigration offices would initially be manned by members of the Guyana Police Force, as obtains at the Central Immigration Office in the city, but eventually civilians will man the two facilities.

Stating that contracts are yet to be awarded for the projects, Felix noted that the two immigration offices would be equipped with closed circuit television cameras, air conditioning units, desktop computers, printers, several cubicles, and waiting areas with adequate seating for members of the public.

During his address to the National Assembly in October, President David Granger had said that public services must be accessible to every citizen in every town in every region. He said no citizen should have to leave her or his region in order to access public services.

“We will accelerate the decentralization of public services alongside the development of ‘capital towns’ in 2017”, the President said. In addition, he said that provision of quality public services is associated with enhancing the ‘quality of life’ of citizens. He said Government is cognizant of the need to improve public administration to make public services more accountable, accessible and affordable.