The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) will receive $1 billion (US$5M) this year to purchase helicopters to aid in the fight against crime.
So said President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday, according a press release from the Government Information Agency (GINA). He said that the funds will be facilitated through the 2008 National Budget to be presented in the National Assembly on Monday. At the going rate this figure could purchase at least two helicopters which the security forces badly need to confront crime. With crime spiralling out of control in recent years and in the wake of the January 26 massacre at Lusignan, government has come under swingeing pressure to up the crime fight.
Jagdeo said that while Government is committed to fighting crime and putting the necessary resources into the security forces, “Guyanese must understand the sacrifices that have to be made to assist in this regard.”
He said that close to $1B is being put into the budget to buy helicopters with spotlights and a whole range of equipment. But he noted that the money is limited. “I can understand sometimes the frustration but people have to make sacrifices if they want security, they cannot say to me they want 50 roads and then spend money on helicopters too,” Jagdeo said.
GINA did not say where the President made the announcement.
At present, a number of the army’s aircraft are unserviceable including the Bell 412 helicopter, which was one of the military’s main machines. It was reported some months ago that out of seven aircraft only two were serviceable.
The fleet is made up of two Skyvans, three planes and two helicopters. However, only one Shorts Skyvan remains in service and is operated along with a Harbin Y-12 Turbo Panda plane, acquired from a Chinese aircraft manufacturer in early 2002.
For many years the Bell 412 helicopter, which stopped working over a year ago, had been the sole helicopter in use, until it was augmented by a pair of Rotorway Exec 162F helicopters in 2004 and 2005, which were locally assembled. Sources close to the Air Corps unit told Stabroek News that among the out-of-service aircraft in addition to the Bell 412 helicopter, is another Skyvan as well as two other airplanes.
According to the release, Government had explained that the National Budget will reflect provisions for other areas which the United Kingdom-Government of Guyana security action plan and Inter-American Develop-ment Bank (IDB) Citizens Security Programme would not cover.
The release said that the funding will be facilitated through the Guyana Police Force’s capital projects budget and some of the provisions are expected to take care of the marine wing of the force to tackle piracy. Also more high powered rifles will be purchased. Meanwhile, the President in response to calls by opposition political parties for Government to present a comprehensive security plan has made it clear that his Government is open to suggestions for the current plan.
“We are open to suggestions that are not a part of the security plan. We are not getting suggestions, what we are getting from the opposition is a new security plan. There is one that they have seen and it has several points, so we are prepared to add new things,” he said.
But he said that it wasn’t a new plan on paper that is needed but people in the security forces. “We need better intelligence but intelligence just doesn’t drop from the sky.
