…body scanner to detect contraband on the cards

THE National Budget for 2019, which was presented by Minister of Finance Winston Jordan on Monday, has made provision of $35.6 billion for the security sector, an increase of 14.5 per cent over 2018.

“We spent the year strategising and preparing for a future that minimises the risk of travesties recurring. The safety and happiness of our citizens and the protection of their basic rights are paramount to this government,” Jordon said.

Prisons
Therefore, he said in 2019 government is consolidating and expanding the security sector where the sum of about $4 billion will be expended on maintaining and improving prison services, including a sum of $1.5 billion, which will be dedicated to improving and developing the prison infrastructure, to ease overcrowding and remove the need to use temporary holding areas like the Lusignan Prison facility.

The allocation, the finance minister said, will result in the construction of the new Georgetown Prison, the continued expansion of the Mazaruni Prison Complex, and the commencement of preparatory work for the reconstruction of the New Amsterdam Prison. “We will also procure the requisite equipment, including a body scanner, to detect contraband substances and improve safety at our prisons.”

Turning his attention to the Guyana Police Force (GPF), Jordan said the focus in the coming year will be on the consolidation of existing facilities and expansion of services to cover larger areas. To better plan and execute its mandate, Jordan said that the GPF has undertaken to harmonise its divisional boundaries with those of the administrative regions in a phased manner, with a view of ensuring that each region has at least one divisional headquarter.

Divisional headquarters
In 2019, he said nearly $700 million will be expended to construct and improve police buildings, including the construction of four new divisional headquarters in Regions one, four, five and eight. In addition, about $0.5 billion has been allocated for the expansion of the police vehicular and marine fleets, canine and mounted branches, as well as for the procurement of ballistic, crime scene and other equipment.

Minister Jordan told the National Assembly that the police force is in a better position to deliver on its mandate of serving and protecting the citizens with the substantial increase in its budgetary allocation, acquisition of equipment, refurbishment of police stations, increased training opportunities for all ranks, and the recruitment of 1,500 since 2015.

CANU
Meanwhile, he said that the transnational smuggling of narcotics has forced the administration to divert more resources to combat this scourge. In 2019, he said the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) will intensify its monitoring and intelligence operations, especially at the borders and at hotspots? across the country. Simultaneously, he said that the anti-narcotics programme will include the Forensic Laboratory which is in the process of procuring DNA and related equipment to test for the presence of narcotics.

Fire Service
As for the Fire Service, Minister Jordan said this service has benefitted from the acquisition of new water tenders and related fire-fighting vehicles. Allocation, he said, has been made, in 2019, for the procurement of four, fully-equipped ambulances and, by the end of the year, the Fire Service‘s emergency medical service (EMS) should be in a position to fully service Region Four, with a response time of about 10 minutes. Further, he said, the EMS rollout is expected to span through 2021 and expand across Regions Four, Five and Six.

GDF
For the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), the finance minister said for 2019 government has given increased allocation to assist in the defence of territorial integrity; support the police in the 68 maintenance of law and order as required; and contribute to the economic development of Guyana. “This allocation will see facilities being upgraded at Camp Ayanganna, Timehri, Anna Regina, New Amsterdam, Makouria and Morawhanna, as well as procurement of equipment and improving the fleet of land and water transport, including the flagship GDF Essequibo,” Minister Jordan noted.

The finance minister said that initiatives supporting direct interventions with citizens will continue, in 2019. Public awareness campaigns, he said will target attitude and behavioural change to prevent inter-personal violence and this will be implemented in targeted communities such as Vreed-en-Hoop and Albouystown. Additionally, the communities of Kildonan/Friendship, Adelphi Canefield, Kilcoy, Angoy‘s Avenue and Sophia will benefit from funding to implement rapid impact projects, including the establishment of facilities to promote interaction, skills training, recreation and social cohesion.

These interventions, Minister Jordan said, are aimed at promoting youth and community development by creating opportunities and a safe space to engage youths on the issues they face, build skills and confidence in communities, and share experiences to effect positive social change.

“The security sector is assured that the Coalition Government will continue to be a pillar of support for their efforts in keeping our country and its citizens safe,” the minister stated.