Scores of firearm licenses, awaiting the Security Minister’s approval, have been set aside as the new Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan seeks to set new standards and criteria for the approval of gun licenses.

News Source was on Tuesday shown the large piles of applications awaiting the Minister’s approval. These applications have been on hold since the previous government.

The applications have already received the approval of the respective Police Commanders, the Police Commissioner and the Firearm Advisory Board.

“I have put all gun licensing matters on hold until we work out with the Firearm Advisory Board what are the criteria, the existing ones and would be the criteria as I would want,” Ramjattan said.

He added that “scores and scores of files are on my desk and I’m just holding them until.”

The National Security Minister disclosed that he is already familiar with the changes he is likely to institute but refused to share the details. “Expect that it will be done as early as after my meeting with the Advisory Board and the Police Commissioner,” he assured.

Mr. Ramjattan explained that he is also interested in reviewing the files that were also rejected either by the Commissioner or the Firearm Advisory Board and the reasons behind the disapproval.

“As Minister I want to know why it is because I understand there are hundreds of other files which didn’t reach my desk. Why? So there must be an explanation,” Ramjattan queried as he assured that there will no whimsically issuance or discrimination in this regard.

A big part of this ministry’s work is to ensure that there is no discrimination, that there is fairness, there is reasonableness in the process. Those who are entitled will get and those who are not entitled will not get,” he stressed.

Ramjattan, who is an Attorney at Law, said he has no intentions to revoke licenses that were already issued but will seek to review those applications granted by the previous administration. He said too that “I am going to be measured about it and decide. The review process will start and if I get complaints that persons who ought not to get were granted licenses I will ask for certain review.”

Under the PPP administration, there were complaints of un-entitled persons being granted these licenses while others who had matched the criteria were being denied for seemingly discriminatory reasons.

Additionally, the frequent incidents of holders of licensed firearms using those weapons to commit criminal acts and intimidate and harm citizens had also given rise to a call for review and appropriate revocations.

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