Corruption is one of the biggest issues facing the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission (GL&SC) and its head, Mr Trevor Benn, is already taking serious action to ensure the loopholes are closed and that the culprits are made to face the music.
During a recent discussion with radio announcer Stan Gouveia, on the show called the Hot Seat, Benn disclosed that the paper-based system of the Commission is what makes it so susceptible to acts of corruption, such as the leakage of confidential application forms. He noted that moves are being made to digitise all the records so that a digital fingerprint of those trying to commit fraudulent acts can be easily detected.
On this note, Benn stated that corruption is a two-way street and urged members of the public to avoid paying bribes to officers for documents. He also cautioned that those at the Commission who are caught in the act would be dealt with accordingly.
Elaborating on the importance of adopting an electronic system, the Commissioner noted that the current record system is in a state of confusion. He said, “We had abandoned a registry system that we used to have and so paper was in every place but not properly accounted for. We are now digitising everything and we are making progress in this regard.”
He also noted that the move from the paper-based system will also aid the process of applications being approved. He noted that the backlog stands at over 30,000. Further to this, the Commissioner said that the agency has implemented a new regime of capacity building to make members of staff more efficient in the handling of the day to day operations.
