Over $7B budget approved for security sector

Protecting the public and ensuring its safety continue to remain chief among the government’s list of priorities, a commitment demonstrated with the over $7 billion allocation to the Home Affairs Ministry, which was on Thursday approved in the Parliamentary Committee of Supply.

Sums have been budgeted for projects slated for completion for the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Guyana Prison Service (GPS), and Guyana Fire Service (GFS).

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn, while outlining plans for the GPS, told the committee that the Lusignan Prison will benefit from major budgetary allocation.

He also outlined plans for a reformative ‘prison school’ that will see the upskilling of inmates, to contribute to their overall positive development.

“The overall vision admission that we’re working towards is increasing the peace in Guyana. That represents a total engagement at all levels of the ministry and the forces.

“Recently, we launched a project called ‘A Fresh Start’, where prisoners are trained, educated and given the tools to prepare for when they exit the prison, so that their reintegration into society would be better, they would be able to earn an income, and they would not be left drained and disdained,” Minister Benn said.

The Home Affairs Ministry has allocated some $2.148 billion for works to be conducted on the Mazaruni, New Amsterdam and Lusignan prisons.

An additional $2.2 billion was allocated for the construction of the Brickdam Police Station, and some $482 million will go towards fire stations at Wales, West Ruimveldt, Ogle, Bartica, and Mahdia.