Significant plans to enhance national security as $108.7B budgeted to strengthen public safety, security

In his national budget presentation on Friday, Dr Ashni Singh, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and Public Service, outlined the Government’s significant plans for enhancing national security in 2025, with $108.7 billion allocated to strengthen public safety and security in 2025.
This includes the funding for the police, prison service, fire service, and various infrastructure and technology upgrades aimed at making Guyana a safer place for all its citizens.
The Government has allocated substantial funds aimed at modernising the Guyana Police Force (GPF), improving the prison system, and upgrading the Guyana Fire Service (GFS).
Regarding the GPF, Dr Singh announced an allocation of $34.4 billion in 2025 to continue strengthening the capacity of law enforcement across the country.
A key focus will be improving infrastructure and expanding the police’s ability to respond to crime more effectively.

Dr Singh stated that since 2020, the Government has worked to address the state of disrepair they found in the GPF in this regard, citing “woefully inadequate equipment, shortage of vehicles, especially for crime fighting purposes, and limited use of technology for investigation and intelligence gathering.”
Policing and infrastructure enhancements
Addressing these gaps, the Government has already embarked on multiple projects to modernise the force.
The funding for 2025 will go towards a variety of initiatives, including the construction of new police stations and outposts; and the continuation of the development of the state-of-the-art Brickdam Police Station.
Dr Singh stated that “$1.7 billion has been allocated towards the construction of the Brickdam Police Station.” A cornerstone project that will enhance the force’s ability to operate in the capital.
Addressing traffic management, safety, and crime
In addition to infrastructure, Dr Singh outlined significant investments in technology to address traffic management and safety; and crime
Dr Singh pointed to the Government’s ongoing efforts to modernise the country’s traffic management systems.
He noted the importance of technology in traffic enforcement, with a focus on the continued implementation of the amendment act aimed at improving efficiency.
The use of intelligent technology for traffic monitoring is seen as a critical component in managing traffic flow and ensuring safer roads across Guyana.
As part of the Government’s push to modernise policing, $6.2 billion is allocated for the continuation of the Safe Country Initiative, which is designed to improve crime detection and prevention through technology.
Dr Singh highlighted that the initiative had already seen the completion of over 400 Intelligent Video Surveillance (IVS) sites across Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, and 10, with 320 additional IVS sites planned for 2025.
GPF mobility and response time will also see improvement, with a $2 billion allocation aimed at expanding the fleet of vehicles available to law enforcement. This includes the acquisition of new cars, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, and boats.
Dr Singh emphasised the importance of these upgrades during his presentation, stating that Government has acquired “…169 motorcycles, 163 pickups, 104 other vehicles, inclusive of cars, buses, and trucks, and 41 all-terrain vehicles.”

Community policing and crime prevention
Dr Singh also pointed to the Government’s success in fostering a stronger relationship between law enforcement and local communities, stating, “We have revitalised the work of community policing groups by focusing on building trust between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.”
Since 2020, 445 community policing groups have been formed, with a total membership of over 8,300 people. In 2024, $125.1 million was spent to establish 44 new groups, and in 2025, the Government plans to invest $156.6 million to form an additional 45 groups.
Investments in the prison and fire services
Focusing on the prison system, Dr Singh highlighted the Government’s efforts to reform and upgrade correctional facilities.
He pointed out that when the current administration assumed office, the prison system was “lacking effective management and key strategic infrastructural investments.”
To address these deficiencies, the Government has since invested heavily in improving infrastructure, especially at the Lusignan and Mazaruni prisons.
In 2025, $6.2 billion has been allocated to further improve the system, focusing on physical upgrades and expanding rehabilitation programmes.
Dr Singh noted that “over 4,000 inmates have been trained in various disciplines” since 2020, with 1,600 more inmates set to benefit from academic, vocational, and behavioural training programmes in 2025.
The allocation also covers the continued training of prison officers, with $140.2 million budgeted for the development of their skills.
The GFS will also see a boost in funding, with $30 million set aside in 2025 for training 400 new recruits and emergency technicians.
Dr Singh emphasised the importance of investing in the GFS capacity, stating, “Efforts were made to expand the GFS’s capacity and adequately boost firefighting operations.”
Over the past four years, the Government has completed fire stations at key locations, including Eccles, Ogle, and Leonora.
In 2025, the GFS will receive funding for additional fire stations at locations such as Charity, Onderneeming, Parika, and Soesdyke, as well as new firefighting vehicles.
In total, Dr Singh confirmed that the Government has allocated over $100 billion to advance the security sector in 2025.
The Minister concluded by saying, “These investments are essential for ensuring that our security agencies are fully equipped to meet the evolving challenges of law enforcement, crime prevention, and public safety.”