Digital ID cards, e-visa portal on the horizon

Digital ID cards, e-visa portal on the horizon – VP Jagdeo

Dec 11, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – The Government of Guyana on Friday disclosed that it intends to produce new and improved digital national identification cards as well as develop an e-visa portal to facilitate the ease of doing business here and hassle-free travel.

According to Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, the new ID cards will be done with assistance from partners from the United Arab Emirates and Dubai.

The Vice President made this disclosure on Friday during a Press Conference held at the Office of the President where he said that the ID cards will have a secure chip, which can store data including blood type, date of birth, drivers’ licence and taxpayer’s identification number.

The Vice President said the necessary legislation to allow for the card’s use will be taken the National Assembly next year.

“It will be for nationals and people who are resident in Guyana. So, if you’re coming to work here, you have a different colour card. Guyanese will have one colour Card,” he explained.

Bharrat Jagdeo, Vice President of Guyana.

The digital ID card, the VP noted can be used at banks and other institutions with ease.

“When they [Guyanese] come home, they can take out their card and just swipe and come in. They don’t have to go through this elaborate customs and all of that at immigration etc., making it easier for that,” he explained.

Additionally, the Government is also hoping to send employees from the Immigration Office and Customs Department to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to receive training in the operation of the technology.

The Vice President also pointed out that the system would not allow the duplication of numbers, since it will operate with software that shows if biometrics are the same.

Further, he said that the system will be designed in such a manner that when a work permit expires for foreign workers, the cards would no longer be valid, allowing for renewal. This, Jagdeo said will make keeping track of persons in the country efficient.

Meanwhile, the Vice President said that the Government is also looking to introduce e-passports. “The next phase is probably e-passports,” he said explaining that he met with Abu Dhabi Exports, and Guyana is looking to the entity to fund a project here.

“They’ll fund about 90 per cent of the cost, and the Government, 10 per cent. It has to do with our airport. So, the Cabinet has approved that, to move fully to an e-visa portal, and put in a number of e-gates, so that in the future, hopefully within eight months to a year, that it will almost seem paperless coming in through our airport, but with a lot of security features,” the VP disclosed.

Additionally, Jagdeo said that, “We’ll bring in the stuff from abroad, but these would be full electronic passports with a chip, when you go around the world. It’s hard to duplicate, easy for people to travel [with]. Hopefully that would give us more visa-free access to some countries in the world that require secure documents eventually.”

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