One week after he declared that there will be no amnesty period for illegal firearms, and holders of illegal firearms should just throw them into the compound of Police Stations, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn told the National Assembly this morning that the Government intends to increase the fines and penalties for persons nabbed with illegal weapons.

While offering his support of Budget 2024 and the billions of dollars allocated for the security sector, Minister Benn said there are a number of initiatives that will be introduced to curb the crime situation in the country.

“If you have an illegal firearm, we will find out, and we will increase fines in relation to that…We believe if you have a firearm, turn it in, don’t set us up for us to pay for you in relation to you handing over the firearm. Amnesty is for another time in relation to firearms,” the Home Affairs Minister noted.

Opposition MP Khemraj Ramjattan, who is a former Public Security Minister told the National Assembly during his debate presentation, that the Government has no real plan to address the crime situation. He said with all of the resources being channeled to the sector, there should be better results.

But Minister told the National Assembly that there have been results. He said serious crimes are on the decline, while admitting that murders and gun crimes have been on the rise.

“In spite of all the bad things you see happening, it is true that murders increase, it is true that we have an increase in domestic murders, it is true that we have disorderly murders which are creating a burden for the police force and the communities which they secure, but overall crime continues to decline under the PPP/C in government,” Benn said. 

The Home Affairs Minister said the government’s Safe Community initiative is bearing fruit, and there is now more collaboration between the police and the community.

Turning to the Guyana Fire Service, the Home Affairs Minister noted that more than four thousand calls were placed to Fire Stations across the country last year in relation to fires.

He said the threat to private and public properties along with businesses, due to fire is insurmountable. He said persons need to be more cautious.

“So, the overall question about fire safety is particularly an important one for us, we are investing more and more in relation to fire protection. We are buying new vehicles, water carriers, we are buying a new fire boat in relation to the amount of harbor in demerara and in other places, we are looking in putting in place new fire stations as well,” the Home Affairs Minister noted.

As it relates to the Guyana Prison service, the Minister said there will be increased monitoring and security at all prison locations this year.

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