-says VP Jagdeo

AS the government works to advance technology across the country, Guyanese can look forward to strengthened security measures at airports and agencies, as well as improved methods of conducting business.

According to a Department of Public Information (DPI) newsletter, Vice-President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo disclosed on Wednesday evening that this forms part of ongoing efforts to digitalise the economy.

The Vice-President was at the time delivering remarks at the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber’s Annual Awards and Induction Ceremonial Dinner.

“We have a modern grid and clean, reliable power and the roads, bridges and the ports ready and broadband technology… bandwidth across the country, that we need to, now layer this on with a number of things to support a digital economy. And so, we’re working on that. I just came from the Middle East and we’re looking in a matter of months, we’re going to start moving in the first step,” he was quoted as saying.

The Vice-President reiterated government’s intention to have a national ID card with all the biometrics that will support an electronic passport.

This, Dr Jagdeo noted, will be safer, more reliable, and other countries will accept it.

According to the newsletter, this move will also see the local airports being revolutionised with eGates and other advanced technological features.

“We’re working now to layout cameras with facial recognition across the country, it would allow our banking sector to now use the data and the biometrics to feed into that, more support for backing up apps, mobile IDs,” the VP stated.

He had noted earlier this year that the new ID cards are part of a wider, “safe country” programme the government is advancing.

The IDs will be used for conducting transactions at agencies such as the National Insurance Scheme and the Guyana Revenue Authority, among others, the newsletter added.