President Ali says GDF modernisation a necessity

– more than $100B injected since 2020

The government has injected more than $100 billion in financial resources to fund and modernise the operations of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) since 2020, ensuring it is well-prepared to adapt to emerging security challenges.

President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali said this transformation is not an option – but a necessity, in light of past limitations due to significant underfunding by the then government.

The Mohamed Irfaan Ali Government has substantially increased the defence budget, allocating some $115 billion between 2020 and 2024, with $50.4 billion in the current year.

This is in stark contrast to a mere $14 billion earmarked by the coalition administration in 2019.

“This investment is part of our plan to build a more agile and capable organisation that can effectively safeguard our sovereignty, protect our borders, and respond to emerging threats,” the president revealed at the opening of the Annual Officers’ Conference Thursday morning.

President Ali said a key focus of this modernisation is the acquisition of advanced equipment and technology.

Within this context, the head of state informed the high-ranking officers that new helicopters, maritime surveillance vessels, and drones will be procured to bolster land border surveillance, maritime security, and disaster response management.

This will ensure the GDF is effective in its mandate to respond and be better-prepared to respond to any crisis.

The government is also investing in the human resource pool, providing ranks with extensive training locally and overseas.

Since 2020, approximately 6,445 ranks have received training at a total cost of more than $2.5 billion.

And according to the Guyanese president, the establishment of the National Defence Institution further solidifies the commitment to developing human capital within the force.

“Every single officer that retires an evaluation is done to see how they can be reabsorbed with their skill-set into the economy. We are going to invest in you, in your welfare for now and the future, so that you will live a continuously productive life here in Guyana,” President Ali explained. 

Additionally, collaborations with international partners have been instrumental in this transformation, as the GDF has strengthened its military partnership with the United States (US), focusing on knowledge transfer and joint training exercises.

The president made it clear that his government will continue to expanding the benefits, whether through increased salaries and special healthcare benefits.