Promising to restore Guyana’s pride, Minister of State Joseph Harmon yesterday said the new government plans “to go after the big fishes” who have tainted the country’s image.
At a PNCR meeting at the Stabroek Market Square yesterday afternoon to update the people on recent happenings, Harmon said the government will inject extra resources into the police force in a bid to create an intellectual structure for tackling crime. “It is time we bruk the back of crime,” he said, while pointing out that there is no room for criminals anymore in the country. He lauded the efficiency the police force has been showing in the past few months.
Harmon also referenced the allegations made by self-confessed death squad member Shawn Hinds in the past few days and said that after everything is put together there will be a special place at the Camp Street jail for all of the people who terrorised Guyanese citizens. Harmon said he is encouraging others to come forward and reveal anything they know as they will be offered protection. He said if they were involved in criminal activities, they will have face judgement based on the law.
“All the people who got government vehicle hiding in their garage… we will find them,” Harmon also said, while noting that the government will be implementing a plan to have all state-owned vehicles carry government number plates.
He said that all of the licence-plate numbers of vehicles that were registered to the state will be given to the police and lawful action will be taken against the persons who have sought to keep them.
Harmon confirmed the dissolution of the One Laptop per Family (OLPF) project and the laying off the remaining employees, claiming that it was “a massive fraud” perpetrated on the people of Guyana by the last government. He said that when he visited the OLPF headquarters he noticed a “bulk” of laptops that were broken and could not be used. Harmon said the employees were “putting on a pappy show” and were not doing anything constructive. He said that while the employees were hardworking Guyanese citizens, they cannot be employed for “doing nothing” and were only “duped” by a corrupt government.
Referencing the $10,000 education cash grant launched by the previous government, he said it was an elections gimmick and the previous administration knew it was impossible to sustain over a long period of time. “His royal highness Dr [Roger] Luncheon and Her Royal Highness Priya Manickchand were in a meeting where they discovered that it was impossible to upkeep the project,” Harmon said.
He said the cash grants will be reformed into a project that will better assist students in need. He said that with the cash grant, people were using the money for their own purpose and weren’t spending it for what it was intended.
He told the large crowd that gathered that the meeting was just to give an update to the people of the country on the progress the newly elected government was making.
“Maybe in the future we can all hold each other’s hands across the country and show the world our pride,” Harmon said.
He said the government is focusing on making the next budget one “worthy of the people of Guyana,” which will make life easier for all of Guyana.
