Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo announced today that the government will soon introduce blockchain technology in the Ministry of Housing and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). This initiative is aimed to bolster transparency and safeguard public records in light of long-standing concerns over record tampering, especially in the allocation of land leases and mining licenses.
Speaking at his weekly press conference, Jagdeo explained that the decision stems from multiple complaints regarding tampering with official records in both sectors. These complaints, which have persisted over the years, highlight instances where individuals have had their claims to land or mining rights unfairly undermined due to falsified records.
“We’ve had complaints about people in those places—leases are given out, or prospecting licenses—on a first-come, first-served basis,” the Vice President said. He provided an example to illustrate the problem, explaining that if someone applies for a lease in August and another person applies for the same land in September, the August applicant should rightfully receive the lease.
“However, in certain cases, the earlier application has allegedly disappeared from the records, allowing the later applicant to claim the land.
“If I apply in August and someone comes to apply for the same piece of land in September, I’m supposed to get it because I applied in August. Now the person, if they can disappear my record, then the person in September might get it. And we’ve had complaints that sometimes records are tampered with,” he explained.
According to Dr. Jagdeo, there have been cases at the GGMC where mines officers have falsified records, particularly when valuable minerals such as gold are discovered. “If someone finds a bit of gold on the land, suddenly there is a claim that two other persons had made applications before that person,” he said, adding that this tampering has undermined public trust in the system.
Blockchain technology, which underpins cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, has been identified as a solution to this problem. Blockchain’s key feature is its immutability; once a record is created, it cannot be altered or deleted, providing a secure and tamper-proof ledger of transactions. “With blockchain technology… you cannot go back to alter any record. It will be impossible to alter previous records,” Jagdeo emphasized.
The government’s plan involves integrating blockchain technology into the record-keeping systems of both the housing sector and GGMC, where the majority of complaints about tampered records have emerged. The Vice President noted that these sectors are particularly vulnerable to fraudulent activities due to the high demand for land and mining licenses, combined with the substantial value of Guyana’s natural resources.
The Vice President also hinted that the government is exploring the possibility of extending the use of blockchain technology to other public agencies where record tampering could occur, though no specific agencies were mentioned during the press conference.
“We are looking at projects to now start implementing blockchain technology in those areas where records could be tampered with,” Dr. Jagdeo stated. This step toward modernization he said, is expected to bring significant improvements to the integrity of public record-keeping, particularly in sectors where past incidents of tampering have undermined fairness and transparency.
