Upgrades to sting
-Ramjattan
Meanwhile, Ramjattan also oted that the budget makes rovisions for almost $1.5 bilion to execute infrastructure works at the Mazaruni Prison nd another $400 million for he rehabilitation of the Camp Street Prison. “It is important o understand that we are modernising our prison infratructure. These things were 20 years old… we are doing he things necessary to ensure hat indeed we have a modern rison. We are going to ensure hat that is fast-tracked for ext year,” he said.
Responding to heckling rom PPP/C members, Ramjattan said that it was the PPP/C administration that eglected the prison system. 120 odd years old, what did ou do?” he asked.
The minister also noted that he PPP/C was unable to chieve the establishment of a roper 911 system. Someone rom the opposition benches houted that it was the previus administration that started he initiative.
Ramjattan also said the evised Security Sector Reform Action Plan SSRAP) will be made public ext January and he noted his ertainty that most of the recmmendations will be implemented.
“The report will come out n January and most [of the ecommendations] I am cerain will be implemented,” Ramjattan said.
Ramjattan also used the ccasion to accuse the former PPP/C administration of deliberately rejecting the SSRAP as well as the estabishment of a United States Drug Enforcement Agency DEA) office in Guyana.
He informed that it is ecause of the coalition’s desire for professionalism that fforts have been made to ave the shelved reform plan evived. “They [PPP] did not want the £4.5 million. They did not want the expert advice from the British. Just like the DEA; they wanted them out so that they could do their thing. We are now doing it in accordance with international best practices, people who know the work they are here,” he stressed.
He also lashed the PPP/C for delaying the arrival of the DEA in Guyana. “…the Americans are very proud of us… We also suffer scrutiny internationally unlike what happened in the previous administration, Mr Speaker. They didn’t want…the Drug Enforcement Agency to come into the country. They didn’t want international scrutiny,” he stressed.
Ramjattan used his 35minute-long presentation to also highlight this year’s achievements for his ministry and what is expected to come in 2018.
Ramjattan indicated that the ministry’s security programme in part focuses on atrisk youth, providing infrastructural work to the various sectors of the ministry and enhancing them. He said 428 youths from 20 communities have so far received technical training and another 420 will be trained between now and 2020. He said that an additional number of at-risk youths from regions Three, Four, Five, Six and Ten are being prepped to do work with families to strengthen their resilience and their ability to solve conflicts in 2018. He said too that there will be about 21 workshops and family-related activities, in addition to literacy training and mentorship with the families of these at-risk youths.
According to the minister, in the new year there will also be small community-based projects, which will provide places for youth, in particular, to become engaged in meaningful activities. He said that the aim is to ensure that the establishment of recreation centres or the enhancement of community grounds.
He also noted that an element of the ministry’s agenda focuses on the police’s crime prevention and investigation capacity for homicides, burglaries and robberies at the national level.
Ramjattan also informed that attention is being given to boosting the capacity of the Police Complaints Authority and in this regard he has already made a recommendation to Minister of State Joseph Harmon to fill the vacant post of Chairman.
In 2018, he added, a US$280,000 survey to capture data regarding domestic violence victims will be executed. He said too that next year will also see focus being placed on strengthening police/community relations and crime prevention strategies.