More transparent, efficient system being examined for tint permits, gun licences – Jagdeo

The Government is moving to streamline two of the most contentious licensing processes in Guyana: firearm licences and vehicle tint permits, as Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo revealed that up to 50,000 applications for gun licences are currently pending.
According to the Vice President, Guyana is facing a flood of requests for firearm licences, with between 30,000 and 50,000 applications currently sitting before the authorities. The figure, he said, underscores both the frustration of citizens seeking protection and the immense security risks the state must weigh before granting approvals on such a scale.
“Just imagine if you have to give out 50,000 gun licences in Guyana; what could happen?” Jagdeo asked pointedly during a recent press conference. He warned that many licensed weapons ultimately fall into the wrong hands or are stolen during break-ins and later used by criminals.
Jagdeo revealed that at community meetings across the country, requests for firearm licences dominate the conversations, often overshadowing pressing development issues like education, health, and jobs. “After the meetings, people come and they talk about their gun licences. And so, you can’t get to the real issues,” he said.
The Vice President emphasised that while the Government understands citizens’ desire to feel safe, it cannot respond by simply flooding the country with firearms. Instead, he said, authorities are examining non-lethal alternatives for personal protection, alongside reforms that would make the licensing process more transparent and less vulnerable to corruption or backroom deals.
“We have to think about how we can give people some way of protecting themselves, but maybe in a non-lethal way, and be very sparing with the gun licenses. Let the system be transparent so that you don’t have claims about paying someone for a licence or running behind a Minister for an upgrade,” Jagdeo declared.

Tint permits to be streamlined
Beyond firearms, the Government is also moving to untangle what Jagdeo called a “time-wasting” and “frustrating” system for vehicle tint permits. At present, hundreds of applications for exemptions reach Ministers weekly – a practice the Vice President said distracts from more pressing governance matters.
“We may just have two levels,” he explained. “One for security forces and maybe diplomats, and then another tint level for the general public. Everybody gets treated the same. There’ll be no exemptions, so you can’t run down a Minister every day for a permit.”
Jagdeo argued that a clear, across-the-board framework would reduce opportunities for favouritism, curb the bottleneck of applications, and ensure fairness.
He added that the proposed reforms are part of wider efforts to improve efficiency in Government, reduce red tape, and allow Ministers to spend more time on issues that matter to citizens.
“It’s better to do across-the-board systems… rather than be bogged down with 50 or 500 applications for tint exemptions every week going into the ministry,” he said.
The Vice President said both the gun licence backlog and the tint permit confusion reflect a broader need for modernised systems that reduce red tape, restore public confidence, and keep Ministers focused on real development issues.
“I’m saying this here because I’m hoping it stimulates a conversation nationally about these matters,” Jagdeo told reporters. “How we can improve the system, help people, and at the same time not create new risks.”