Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan on Thursday announced that the security’s sector US$4M assistance from China will be re-adjusted to suit new priorities.
Ramjattan made this announcement following a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Guyana Zhang Limin at his Brickdam office, a report from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.
“We have gotten a list that the previous government had sent to the Chinese Government for support, for this equivalent to US$4M, I have asked the Ambassador…just for some minor adjustments I might want to make to that list… we are going to put some priorities in other areas than the last administration, so we intend to do a readjustment to that list, and he was open to that,” the minister said.
According to GINA, the two officials discussed areas of mutual interest that could result in collaboration between the two countries, which will in turn benefit them both. Ramjattan said the meeting was very productive which brought him up-to-date with the bilateral relationship the two countries share on security.
Training and capacity building for officers of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) were among the several issues discussed. Noise nuisance is also another area which will be prioritised and for this the government will be requesting quality testing materials, which would be able to effectively measure the decibels of music systems and or other objects and systems that contribute to this form of nuisance. Guyana will also be seeking technical support from China with regards to dealing with piracy. Meanwhile, a request has been made for local officers to be trained in Guyana by visiting facilitators. This will allow more individuals to have access to the training, as opposed to the few who will go overseas, the minister said.
Further, the minister noted that Guyana has received assistance for the Guyana Fire Service from the Chinese Government, over the past few years in the form of fire trucks and protective gear.
