President, Dr. Irfaan Ali has announced plans for the digital transformation of the Ministry of Home Affairs, marking a significant milestone in the country’s Information and communications technology (ICT) 2030 vision.
During a recent press conference, the head-of-state outlined the strategic initiative aimed at modernising operations within the ministry and its sub-agencies to enhance service delivery to citizens.
Under this initiative, outdated manual procedures will be replaced with advanced digital systems, enabling faster processing times. Ali said, “So with this plan, we want to digitize and automate all the services under the Ministry of Home Affairs, which include birth certificate, death certificate, immigration services, work permitting services, visa services, immigration services, all of that.”
Notably, the digital transformation of the Ministry of Home Affairs represents the first phase of the government’s broader ICT 2030 plan, setting a precedent for future initiatives across six other ministries.
Also on digitization, Ali explained that the government is continuously working on expanding the safe country program.
“We have seen tremendous results, safe country and eye in the sky has brought in terms of crime fighting and the protection of citizens and assets,” the president said.
He explained that implementing a digitized system at the border will facilitate the timely and cost-efficient processing of traveler identification, particularly crucial given the rising number of travelers.
“This will allow Guyana to meet international obligations, while simultaneously identifying, managing and mitigating risk or responding to threats at Guyana’s borders,” President Ali said.
He continued, “So we will have this electronic system so again human biases are taken away and the system is an additional layer of helping us in terms of security of our border and managing and monitoring who comes in and go out. So that risky elements can be identified early and the necessary agencies can be notified so action to be taken.”
Furthermore, President Ali highlighted the importance of the launching of Guyana’s National Electronic Identification Card (e-ID) system. He said when implemented, the ISO-certified, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) accepted card system will allow for the issuance of resident identification and work permits, and will facilitate a more coordinated approach to public service delivery.
Ali underscored the project’s transformative impact on public service efficiency and transparency, further stating that the electronic system would, “Improve efficiency, and reliability…and give a better and safer customer experience.”
