— will continue to be key focus of the gov’t, says Minister Benn

DEMOCRACY, safety and security will always be championed by the current government and shallow rhetoric by the opposition will not deflect the five months delay of the 2020 elections results which saw all three aspects being taken away.

This is according to Minster of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, during day four of the Budget Debates at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) on Thursday.

“Mr. Speaker, it is really regrettable that honourable members, most of them with the exception of the Deputy Speaker would stand up here and make presentations of the kind they make and continue to make exhibits of themselves in this House when they talk about crime; we talk about their efforts to steal the elections, we had the most recent disgrace in this House where [they tried] to prevent the passage of the Natural Resource Fund Bill; they stole the mace,” Benn reflected.

He said when government speaks of ‘One Guyana’, ‘One nation and Unity’ to move the country forward in an oil and gas era, the opposition strives for destabilisation.

“I feel a sense of personal vindication that I see the landscape of Guyana changing right now in Georgetown, on the East Bank, all over the country in respect to the oil development and other development,” Benn said.

In spite of all that has been said by the opposition, Benn said serious crimes have been reduced but there has been an increase in arsons on buildings in the City.

“For the first time in 16 years, road deaths have dropped below 100 in Guyana,” Benn said while expressing his condolences on the passing of victims of fatal accidents.

Additionally, Minister Benn noted that much investment is being placed on prison reform under the theme “Increasing the peace in Guyana”. Many measures are being explored to give prisoners the tools to restart productive activities to reduce recidivism.

Minister Benn concluded by commending the 2022 Budget and anticipates its rapid and emphatic consideration and passage since it will benefit all Guyanese.

Meanwhile, Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Geeta Chandan-Edmond, in her presentation, noted that public security begins and ends with addressing the everyday survival needs of the people.
She recommended the immediate formation of an inter-ministerial committee on public security, noting that public security in the age of an oil gas economy has to be reimagined and reflect the new found reality.

“It cannot be limited to the same old, the times are different, we are on the big stage and we all must recognise that this will not exempt us from security threats.

Mr. Speaker as a result, Guyana must modernise its security apparatus, we must protect the nation’s emerging oil and gas industry from threats which have the potential to disrupt the value chains of the industry and thus the economic base of the country,” the opposition MP said.

However, Chandan-Edmond praised the $795M allocated for the construction of police stations as a good thing while noting that it is essential that the men and women within those stations are comfortable.