Expediting passports for a fee under consideration
THE time taken to process a machine readable passport (MRP) is now seven days, as compared to 14 days when the new system was introduced in August 2007.
But for an MRP to be issued, the applicant is required to be physically present to facilitate some crucial aspects, such as photographing and fingerprinting.
However, following frequent requests by Guyanese living overseas, Cabinet, at its last Tuesday meeting, considered a recommendation by Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Clement Rohee, that would see MRPs, which need to be expedited in less than the seven days,  delivered for an additional fee.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon informed the media of that development at his weekly post-Cabinet media briefing on Wednesday.
“As a policy, processing will now be expedited at an additional cost,” he confirmed, adding that the charge would be made known shortly.
Luncheon revealed that there have been frequent and numerous such requests from Guyanese residents abroad, who have cited the separating distance as a factor, when a replacement is needed immediately because of damage by fire or natural disaster and loss through theft.
The MRPs offer safeguards against alteration, forgery or counterfeiting and aids the reduction of photograph substitution and alien smuggling while facilitating hassle-free travel for Guyanese citizens.