Security Sector Reform Office in 2018 – President Granger
DPI, Georgetown, Tuesday, November 7, 2017
There is soon to be the establishment of a local office to ensure implementation of the British funded Security Sector Reform Project (SSRP).
During his feature address, at the handing over ceremony on Monday of a gift of assets to the Guyana Police Force from the People’s Republic of China, President David Granger said that plans are on-stream for the creation of the office in 2018.
President David Granger “tests” one of the ATV handed over to the GPF at yesterday’s ceremony.
“We have re-restarted, with the permission of the British government, the Security Sector Reform Project and next year that project is to be transformed into a formal department in order to implement the recommendations which are now being crafted and drafted,” the Head of State said.
Further, President David Granger said that the administrative structure of the Guyana Police Force will also undergo much-needed changes, for more effective policing.
“The police force, as part of that reform project will adapt the same divisional structure as the ten Administrative Regions of our country so that every Divisional Commander will be able to relate to a Regional Chairman in the RDC [Regional Democratic Council]. Every capital town will be the headquarters of a police division, so we won’t have one person commanding three interior divisions as exists at present.”
a section of the vehicles handed over to the GPF at yesterday’s ceremony.
In addition, the President said, “it is the Guyana Police Force which exists to secure our country, to make our neighbourhood safe and to protect our citizens from criminal violence,” justifying the government’s decision to establish the office.
Following a request from the Coalition (APNU+AFC) administration, the British government, seven years after it scrapped the original £3 million (US$4.9 million) project, due to unresolved concerns by the then People’s Progressive Party Civic-led administration agreed to restart the SSRP.
The then Bharrat Jagdeo administration had objected to the SSRP, stating that Britain’s requirements would have resulted in the violation of Guyana’s sovereignty. In turn, Britain abandoned the project and said that its taxpayers right to say how their money should be spent.
The assets received by the Guyana Police Force from the People’s Republic of China are 56 pickups, 44 motorcycles, 35 ATVs, 5 motor buses, 550 protective gear items, 70 computers (desktops and laptops), 10 scanners, 10 printers, 10 photocopying machines, 30 decibel meters and 5 generator sets.
By: Kidackie Amsterdam