BY INDRAWATTIE NATRAM
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee on Saturday assured Essequibians that there will be “no more shouts for justice” for minor problems, as he launched another instalment of the Houses of Justice Project in Region Two.
Addressing policemen, residents and other government officials at the Aurora Primary School on the Essequibo Coast, Minister Rohee said often persons spend too much time accessing simple services, and this must change.
As such, he said the Home Affairs Ministry came up with a bold initiative, the first of its kind in Guyana, to assist residents in various communities.
Essential services
He said the project aims to help communities, or in other words, make essential services available to them.
He said the Houses of Justice are multi-agency centres within communities geared at addressing pressing social and safety needs of citizens at the community level. He said it is designed to improve access to public services.
The minister noted that the project is aimed at eliminating the everyday frustration people face in accessing services, by bringing together key agencies under the same roof.
Rohee said many times persons complain of not receiving justice and, with the launch of the project in Region Two, the issue of “not getting justice” will be resolved at the community level.
Make maximum use
The minister urged persons to make maximum use of the service since it is readily available free of cost. He said a special committee will be set up to analyse the work done by the Houses of Justice and recommendations will be made for improvement.
Giving an overview of the project, Coordinator Shawn Coonjah said the initial phase of the project will see the ministry bringing together staff from the Guyana Police Force, the General Registrars Office, the National Insurance Scheme, the Guyana Power and Light, the Human Services Ministry and community policing volunteers to render services and advise residents of the communities where these facilities are located.
He said the Region Two centres will be established at Charity, Dartmouth, Suddie, Aurora and Kabakaburi.
Meanwhile, Region Two Chairman Parmanand Persaud welcomed the service in the various communities, and thanked the Home Affairs Ministry for the introduction of the project in his region.
Persaud noted that he will be spreading the word on the availability of the services that will be provided.
