Over 3000 firearm licences were issued by the Government of Guyana from 2017 to 2023, Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn has revealed.
He was responding to questions posed by Opposition Member of Parliament David Patterson via written replies in the National Assembly.
For the year 2017, a total of 449 licences were approved: 266 for pistols/revolvers, 150 for shotguns and 33 for rifles.
For 2018, a total of 604 licences were granted: 286 for pistols/revolvers, 279 for shotguns, and 39 for rifles.
In 2019, the government granted 254 firearm licences of which 170 were for pistols/revolvers, 59 were for shotguns, and 25 for rifles.
A total of 428 licences were approved in 2020 of which 253 were for pistols/revolvers, 109 for shotguns, and 66 for rifles.
In 2021, the government issued 1011 firearm licences: 663 pistols/revolvers, 201 shotguns, and 147 rifles.
In 2022, licences were issued for 72 pistols/revolvers and 24 shotguns, bringing to the total approvals for that year to 96.
And in 2023, a total of 178 firearms licences were approved: 131 pistols/revolvers, 37 shotguns and 10 rifles.
