[www.inewsguyana.com] – Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee at a press conference on Friday (January 3) admitted that his Ministry has been somewhat “haphazard if not delinquent” in aggressively ensuring the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Disciplined Services Report that are relevant to the agencies under its review.
Rohee in face of this admission has committed however to working in 2014 to ramp up the process of implementation.
The Minister over the last year came under heavy criticism by Opposition Leader David Granger, who himself was sworn in as a Commissioner on the Commission for his aggression in the implementation of the recommendations of the report.
The Commission was tasked with scrutinizing the operation of the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defence Force, the Fire Service and the Prison Service with a view of highlighting inadequacies and offering recommendations to lend to public safety and security.
“While we recognize that the recommendations as a whole can be considered as work in progress, at the same time we are of the view that a greater sense of focus and effort is required to ensure that these recommendations are implemented with greater zeal and consistency,” Rohee explained.
He posited that if police reform, which has already been initiated on two fronts, is to be successful then the recommendations contained in the Report must be given similar weight and urgency.
He further explained that a similar approach will be adopted in respect of imminent reforms that are about to be rolled out at the Guyana Prison Service and the Guyana Fire Service since in the Report there are a number of recommendations relevant to both sectors.
“Implementation of those recommendations in respect of the Police Complaints Authority which falls under the Ministry of Home Affairs will also be given greater attention,” the Security Minister added.
Rohee said he has already written to the Heads of the respective agencies alerting them to the fact that 2014 will see these matters as a permanent feature during his regular meetings with them.
