…$30B budgeted for Mazaruni expansion, purchase of fire boat

SOME $30.7B has been budgeted this year for the security sector to cater to among other things the expansion and rehabilitation of the prison infrastructure and the procurement of a fire boat for the Guyana Fire Service, Finance Minister Winston Jordan stated.

During presentation of Budget 2018, Jordan told the National Assembly that this year’s budget which is approximately $15B more than last year’s ($14.534) will see some $1.5B going towards the expansion and rehabilitation programme. Works include the expansion of the Mazaruni Prison to accommodate 400 inmates, or 61 per cent more than its current capacity.

Additionally, work on the construction of a new Georgetown Prison is likely to begin in the new year while some $150M has also been allocated to purchase surveillance equipment, body scanners, and beds, among other items. Jordan disclosed that provisions have also been made for strengthening of the Prison Service‘s capacity for case management, as well as rehabilitation and reintegration. Furthermore, in Budget 2018, $1.8B has been provided to cater for the Prison Service‘s operational costs, a 4.6 per cent increase over Budget 2017.

The 2018 budgetary allocation is aimed at strengthening measures to deal with the ever-increasing prison population. The Georgetown Prison has suffered two major fires within the space of two years as a result of prison riots. “Mr. Speaker, this year a tragedy befell our nation which caused us to collectively hold our breath and wonder. I am referring to the rioting of prisoners and the razing of the Camp Street Prison, which was so frightening as to cause public advisories to be issued cautioning citizens to stay indoors,” said Jordan, who noted that such wanton acts of violence and mayhem threatened the country’s security.

The last prison riot which occurred in July, resulted in the Camp Street penitentiary being flattened. “It is an experience that has illuminated the state of dysfunction and disarray into which our security services had fallen over the past two decades. Government places great emphasis on both the safety of our citizens and public officers, as well as the rehabilitative process to support the successful reintegration of prisoners into society, thereby reducing the rate of recidivism,” the Finance Minister stressed.

He noted too that the catastrophe has forced the administration to undertake a comprehensive examination of the security sector. Additionally, it resulted in the diversion of scarce resources to address the immediate security and management concerns, as well as the judicial and other related systems. Operations Cleansweep and Safeguard were put into effect to quickly remedy the effect of the prison riots, which resulted in prisoners escaping.

New vehicles for police
Meanwhile, the Finance Minister noted too that in an effort to continue modernisation of the Police Force over the next year, 114 police stations across the country will benefit from increased vehicular access to support their response times to reported crimes. Further, team-policing efforts are expected to deliver a 24-hour patrol service, Jordan stated. He told the National Assembly that while six police stations were remodelled, in 2017, another six stations will be targeted next year.

Additionally, police stations at Cove and John, Lethem, Springlands, Central (New Amsterdam), and Matthews Ridge are slated for rehabilitation, and a new police station in La Parfaite Harmonie will be constructed to service the catchment area. Another $200M has been allocated for the purchasing of equipment for the Police Force which he said will supplement the generous gift received from the Government of the People’s Republic of China, comprising vehicles, riot gear and other equipment worth $500M.

The Finance Minister disclosed too that 300 youth will be trained, in 2018, in the areas of entrepreneurship, conflict resolution, and violence-prevention, and parenting, as part of the citizen security initiative. Overall, since this government took office, the number of reported serious crimes is estimated to have declined by about 23 per cent.

In the fire department, the Guyana Fire Service will receive its first fire boat next year and a sum of $165M has been budgeted for the final payment. The boat will be fully equipped and will form part of a package of interventions to improve the capacity of the service to respond to fires, both on waterways and bridges. Additionally, an allocation of $60M will be used to expand fire service coverage, to cater to residents of Melanie Damishana, Mabaruma, and, for the first time, Onverwagt.