Georgetown : The estimates of expenditure of Budget 2013 were approved without any amendments last evening. The Alliance for Change (AFC) withdrew proposed cuts while A Partnership for National Unity APNU refrained from participating in the consideration of the said estimates.
Under the allocations for the Ministry’s secretariat, Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee was asked by AFC Chairman, Khemraj Ramjattan to explain the need for an increase to fund under the heading “dietary”. The Minister responded that this sum was for the provision of meals for the 40 inmates at the Juvenile Holding Center at Sophia.
Ramjattan asked for the House to be provided with the document which outlined the details of the Government of Guyana-Inter-American Development Bank funded Citizen Security Programme (CSP), however, Speaker of the House Raphael Trotman reminded that the said document was laid in the House in the Ninth Parliament and could also be accessed via the Home Affairs Ministry’s website.
Meanwhile, PPP/C MP Odinga Lumumba inquired about the structures constructed under the CSP. Minister Rohee informed that these structures included the Rapid Impact Projects (RIPs) such as play fields, basketball courts, and other sporting facilities and computer laboratories, which were build in Regions Four and Six.
PPP/C MP Manzoor Nadir also sought to find out about the Houses of Justice project and Minister Rohee explained that these will be established in Regions Two and Three (West Demerara, Essequibo Coast and Pomeroon) in the first phase.
These facilities are aimed at providing services to the public after 16:00h (4:00pm). These services would include: utility bills, issues relating to NIS, and processing of passport and birth certificates forms among other services.
This concept was taken from a number of Latin American countries such as Columbia. Minister Rohee explained that justice does not necessarily mean going into a courtroom, it could also mean getting access to essential services, to which citizens are entitled.
When it was time to approve this item, members of the APNU indicated their disapproval and a division was called. The AFC abstained from voting and the APNU voted against it, but was approved since the PPP/C had majority votes in this case.
Moving on to the Guyana Police Force (GPF), Nadir asked about the increase in funds for training for police ranks. Minister Rohee told the House that this increase is as a result of the new thrust that the security sector is embarking on. This would see 300 ranks undergoing internal training, 546 to benefit from internal seminars and 115 will benefit from overseas training.
Subsequently, allocations for the Guyana Prison Service, Guyana Fire and Rescue Service, Police Complaints Authority, General Register Office (GRO) were likewise approved.
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