COMMANDER in Chief of the Armed Forces, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, said an increasing number of indigenous Guyanese are joining the Joint Services, especially since more opportunities have become available to them.

Speaking at the commissioning of the Waramuri Secondary School in Region One on Wednesday, President Ali said the establishment of several secondary schools in the hinterland is providing Amerindian youth with the education they need to qualify for entry into the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

“In the Guyana Defence Force, out of the 70 recruits this year for the cadet programme, 10 are indigenous young people because now they have the opportunity,” President Ali said.

Indigenous citizens also make up 60 per cent of all persons in the expanded marine section.

“This year, more than 380 of your young people would have completed the training course and are in the Guyana Police Force,” the head of state said.

Encouraging more young persons to seek recruitment in the Joint Services and serve their country, President Ali told the residents of Region One that the salary of a constable is much higher than it previously was.

In January, President Ali announced that joint services ranks at the lowest level will receive a basic salary of $130,000 per month.

The increase promotes fair pay and shows that the PPP/C administration cares about the joint services.