Jagdeo: Gov’t to Address Gun License Backlog, Strengthen Social Support Systems

Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday outlined government plans to tackle longstanding challenges in governance, including gun license processing, social assistance, pensions, rice pricing, and the development of a junior stock exchange.

Speaking at his weekly press conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Dr. Jagdeo confirmed that government is reviewing a backlog of firearm license applications, reportedly numbering as many as 50,000. He cautioned that indiscriminate approvals could compromise public safety.

“Just imagine if you have to give out 50,000 gun licenses in Guyana. What could happen? … We have to think about how we can give people some way of protecting themselves, maybe a non-lethal way, while being very sparing with the gun licenses. But the system must be transparent,” he said.

The Vice President noted that President Dr. Irfaan Ali is personally overseeing reforms to ensure fairness and eliminate allegations of corruption or political interference in the licensing process.

Reforming Social Support and Public Assistance

Dr. Jagdeo raised concerns over delays in accessing public assistance, particularly for visibly disabled persons, and criticized instances where citizens were forced to rely on presidential outreach to resolve welfare requests.

He announced that government is considering establishing an independent appeal board to report directly to the President on a quarterly basis, providing faster recourse for citizens denied benefits by local boards of guardians.

On pensions, the Vice President reaffirmed government’s commitment to support the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) with Treasury funds to enable higher payouts. “NIS cannot do this on its own… so in the budget, you will see some money put in for the NIS so they can start implementing that promise,” he said.

He also dismissed claims that future cash grants would be distributed per household rather than per person, calling it “a blatant lie” spread by opposition figures. “Whatever the President said on the campaign trail will be done,” Dr. Jagdeo emphasized.

Economic Initiatives and Stock Exchange Plans

Dr. Jagdeo expanded on President Ali’s plan to strengthen Guyana’s underutilized stock exchange and establish a junior exchange. While the exchange is privately owned, government plans could include listing shares of state-backed ventures, such as a proposed fertilizer plant linked to the gas-to-energy project.

“We may want to allow Guyanese to buy shares — teachers, nurses, fishermen — with a capped limit per person to encourage broad ownership. Government can guarantee returns and then list those shares on the exchange,” he said, noting this would deepen financial markets, reduce reliance on bank loans, and give citizens a stake in national projects.

Agricultural Support and Regional Security

Acknowledging farmers’ frustrations with falling paddy prices due to global oversupply and limited mill capacity, Dr. Jagdeo said government is exploring investments in drying and storage facilities to prevent spoilage and strengthen farmers’ bargaining power. He also confirmed discussions on using surplus rice for humanitarian aid in food-insecure regions, ensuring local farmers are not disadvantaged.

On regional security, Dr. Jagdeo refrained from commenting on U.S. drug enforcement actions against Venezuelan vessels but stated, “The only people who are disrupting the peaceful coexistence of the countries in our region has been Venezuela. Not Guyana.”

Dr. Jagdeo framed the administration’s agenda as building systems to reduce ad-hoc decision-making and prevent citizens from relying solely on presidential interventions. “We have to put in place systemic solutions, not just wait until the President or a minister goes into a community to fix something,” he said.