Security agencies that baulked at having their performance and infrastructure audited might find themselves forced to go through the yearly grading exercise.

The proportion of firms that volunteered to be audited has gone down this year compared to the last. Then, a third of the 270 agencies did not participate. This year, close to half - or 120 of the 262 private security firms here - stayed away.

By this time next year, these firms may no longer have the luxury of saying no.

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