The implementation of the Single Electronic Identification System, which will see every Guyanese receiving an electronic identification card (E-ID), will enhance border control and aid in addressing the migrant issue in Guyana, Vice President and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, said on Thursday.
On March 10, 2023, the government signed a US$35 million agreement with the German-based company Veridos Identity Solutions to develop the E-ID system in Guyana. However, the project is facing some delays, and according to the vice president, this is due to an integration glitch.
Nonetheless, he informed a news conference at Freedom House that every Guyanese will receive this card within a year.
He said it will not serve one purpose. From airport clearance to bank account access, every single service will be digitised, and non-citizens will be required to obtain a residency card to access these.
The vice president explained, “Everyone else, who is non-Guyanese, will have to have a residency card with the same security features and their biometrics. If you don’t have that, and you’re living in our country, you would have a hard time opening a bank account…There would be a prohibition on you opening a bank account without that card. Our employers here would have to ensure that people have that card.“
He informed reporters that this system will be linked with the Safe Country initiative, which has about 3,000 to 4,000 surveillance cameras nationwide. Through this system, the government is enabling better tracking and data collection.
Once the new digital ID card system is implemented, all non-citizens will be required to obtain the card within a defined grace period, and failure to do so will result in sanctions, the vice president noted.
In the meantime, Dr Jagdeo assured that all migrants entering Guyana’s shores are thoroughly vetted by state agencies, and national intelligence operations actively monitor potential security threats linked to foreign migrants. He acknowledged that while Guyanese are concerned about the migrant situation, intelligence gathering, by its nature, should not be plastered across social media platforms or traditional media.
“And I can assure you it’s not only going to be for Venezuelans, but …the Chinese ….Indians …and the Africans in our country…. everyone else who is non-Guyanese, we will know, once the cards are issued,” he affirmed.
He said that the government has to act compassionately, as in the past, Guyanese were flocking to other countries, especially Venezuela, to seek economic refuge. Now, those persons with Guyanese roots are returning and are eligible for citizenship.
“They can get an ID card or a passport immediately. That’s the Constitution of Guyana. The PPP can’t change that, and APNU can’t change that. That’s in our supreme law,” he noted.
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