–$50M to train inmates in anger management, literacy, agriculture and culinary arts

IN order to enhance public safety and security countrywide, the sum of $22 billion was allocated in the 2021 budget, of which $15.3 billion will go to the Guyana Police Force.
This announcement was made by Senior Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh while presenting the budget at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) on Friday. He noted that $300 million is to be spent on expansion of the land and water fleet across all the regions to complement the existing fleet.
“Mr. Speaker, the security sector has long been plagued by issues of lack of public trust, poor response times, and inefficient resource allocations. Our administration immediately undertook to equip the sector to improve the ability to deliver effectively on its mandate,” Dr. Singh said.
He indicated that the government has also found the Community Policing Groups (CPG) to be an effective complement to the work being done by the Guyana Police Force, and involved the community in helping to keep their neighbourhoods safe and secure.

Regrettably, the Finance Minister noted that over the past five years, the CPG programme was dismantled. “We will be resuscitating the Community Policing Groups. To this end, an amount of $95 million has been allocated to help those groups strengthen neighbourhood patrols and visibility,” he said. Dr. Singh said over $830 million has been allocated for the construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of police stations, including Providence, Ruimveldt, Cove and John, Albion, Whim, Parika, Wismar and others. “We also plan to improve investigative and forensic capabilities of ranks by conducting training in 20 courses for 828 police ranks, along with an ongoing overseas training,” he added. Turning to the Guyana Prison Service, the Finance Minister said major works are ongoing to upgrade prison infrastructure. He explained that work will commence this year on constructing three new blocks at the Lusignan Prison, which will accommodate 600 inmates, while works are also progressing on the cells at the New Amsterdam Prison.

Additionally, he said the construction of the Mazaruni Prison (First Building) to accommodate 220 high-profile inmates is expected to be completed within the first quarter of 2021.
A sum of $50 million, he said, will be expended on the training of inmates in the areas of anger management, literacy, agriculture, and the culinary arts. Additionally, he noted that 30 (15 males and 15 females) incarcerated youths will benefit from digital skills training to support their rehabilitation and social transformation upon leaving the prison system. Some $5 billion has been budgeted for the Prison Service. Further, the Finance Minister said that in 2021, the Guyana Fire Service will receive a total of $1.9 billion. Major interventions will include relocation of the Central Fire Station from the congested Stabroek Market area, and the construction of a new Fire Station at Eccles on the East Bank Demerara. Additionally, six water tenders and two ambulances will be procured.