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Govt. signs US$35M contract for single electronic ID system
Kaieteur News – The Government of Guyana (GoG) on Friday signed a US$35 million contract with a German-based company, Veridos Identity Solutions for a Single Electronic Identification System and cards that will be issued to Guyanese.
The official contract signing between the Government and Veridos, took place virtually from State House.
President Irfaan Ali as well as Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips; Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh and Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar attended the signing ceremony.
President Ali said that the Single Electronic Identification System being developed for Guyana will not only enhance the ease of transactions but will be one of the most technologically advanced. He said that too that the cards will be compliant with 18013-5 of the ISO standard and will be accepted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for international travel.
The collaboration was facilitated by United Arab Emirate, His Royal Highness, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
The new electronic identification system, the President explained, would revolutionise how business is done in Guyana and with its advanced security system it will eliminate the need for certain documents.
President Irfaan Ali and other officials at the contract signing on Friday (Department of Public Information photo)
Ali said, “Through this card, the banking sector now can have fingerprint verification and validation of the person who’s before them. So, the need for proof of address and all the audit documentation is eliminated. The cost of doing business, the effectiveness, the competitiveness, the efficiency all improve as a result of this technology.”
The President said that the card’s capabilities are also in keeping with his Government’s commitment to promote eGovernance to improve the productivity of businesses and the delivery of Government services through the introduction of eHealth, eEducation, eSecurity, eAgriculture, electronic permit, and license processing among other areas.
He noted that the enhancement is necessary because there is an immediate need to implement a robust national identity management system that focuses on the integration of identification services across government agencies, security, ease of use, and acquisition of IDs.
The President added, “This ID system would improve access to all citizen-centric Government services and benefit the citizens, private sector and Government alike. This will bring us in line with solutions used by the most developed economies, and position Guyana to be a competitive sphere in a world that is advancing drastically along a technological landscape.”
The system, and the cards by extension, according to the President, will also allow for the issuance of work permits and resident identification.
“E-ID systems promote the idea of one citizen, one identity by assigning a unique national registration number to each citizen for use by all Government agencies,” Ali noted.
The Head of State also noted that in addition to improving Government services, the system will also benefit the private sector. He continued, “So, the cost of doing business, the effectiveness, the competitiveness, the efficiency all improved as a result of this technology.”
Moreover, President Ali also stated that the system will adhere to the highest level of international standards.
According to him, “The system allows the capture of individuals’ biographical and biometric information based on international standards and stores it to provide identity-based services to individuals and other Government offices. The ID and resident cards are laser engraved, black and white technology with secure, pre-printed designs and devices for a state-of-the-art polycarbonate document, which includes a chip that can integrate a variety of services to the individual.”
The President said the system and software will be tailored for Guyana and will include implementation services, training of administrators and operators, local help desk support and 60 months of support and maintenance. The project is expected to have a 12-month implementation period.
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