Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton believes there is a need for the government to pay more emphasis on the defence capabilities of the Guyana Defence Force, to respond to internal and external threats that the country might encounter.

During a Thursday morning press conference, Mr. Norton said the military’s limited and outdated resources put it at a disadvantage to respond effectively to security concerns.

He said the Government must ensure that closer attention is paid to the needs of the Defence Force.

“It is clear, that the army, the marine section—the coast guard needs to be equipped. There is also a clear need for weaponry and I believe also, there is clear need for equipment to help bordering communities, because those communities also would not be able to access the services those far away from the border will be able to access,” the Opposition Leader said.

Mr. Norton said if the Government is serious about protecting the land, air and maritime spaces, it will also need to invest in technologies to assist in monitoring of those spaces.

“One would have thought by now, that information technology would have been used and on our border areas, we would have equipped them to do surveillance etc., and because it is difficult to patrol those areas, the Guyana Force should be looking in the area of the use of technology to help us keep control of what is happening at the border,” the Opposition Leader said.

In addition, Mr. Norton noted that the men and women in uniform, especially those stationed in far flung areas, must be properly equipped to ensure that at any time they can respond to any threats against the homeland.

He said government should also seek to boost the morale of those ranks stationed in the hinterland.

“From our information, there is need for upgrade of weapons in keeping with modern times. I should be obvious to all, that we don’t have the capacity in terms of air travel to put troops in the area and to bring them out adequately. There are also reports, coming from those areas, that the locations tend to run out of food,” Mr. Norton said.

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