GUYANA is making significant strides in its national digitisation efforts, which promise to improve comfort, security, and business expansion across the country, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has said.

Dr. Jagdeo, at his weekly news conference last Thursday, highlighted that the government was moving closer to implementing its digitisation strategy, which will see the streamlining of several processes to be more efficient and enhance security.

With the highest level of biometrics and technology, the government, he noted, was in the first phase of rolling out its ‘Safe Guyana’ project, which will see 24-hour monitoring through smart cameras. These are intended to provide the authorities with the relevant intelligence needed to track criminal activities.

“There is a third project we have. It’s called a Safe Guyana project. That’s where we have now the first phase. There is a monitoring centre now with the high-resolution smart cameras in Region Four. Those have now been deployed to Regions Three and Six, the most populous regions outside of four.”

“These cameras that would give us valuable intelligence and allow us to intercept criminals should we need to do that,” he explained further, pointing out that these cameras will also have running predictive software to anticipate high crime areas so that security personnel can be deployed where necessary.
“We’re expanding this around the country.

“These would be able to do electronically tracking [for example] vehicles to assist with giving, say, e-tickets without even having a policeman to stop someone for speeding,” he said.

A digital database will also be established and would be linked to information such as births, deaths, marriage records, criminal data on the databases where authorities have fingerprints.

“For example, a camera has facial recognition software on it, and we have now the biometrics of everyone in a database, you can find people easily…they could be recognised easily if there is any criminal activity.”

HEALTH DATABASE

Dr. Jagdeo also noted that the government was also working to establish its electronic patient record system.

“Once you have your record in this system, even in the public hospital you would be able to take that to a private hospital should you go there. The doctors from the private hospital if you do an X-ray, your entire history will be here.”

In this year’s fiscal package, funds were put aside to develop the electronic medical health record system.

Late last year, Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, had revealed that the government was evaluating bids that were submitted for the provision of a comprehensive electronic health records system here.

At that time, he noted that they have been working assiduously on digital health and added that in 2024 they would set up a new department regarding digital health in the ministry.

PAPERLESS, FULLY AUTOMATED AIRPORT PROCESSES

Dr. Jagdeo also noted that fully automated and paperless processes will be implemented at Guyana’s airports by the end of this year. The new upgrade, Dr. Jagdeo said, will allow for pre-screening of passengers, and the use of automated gates, where travellers can simply swipe their identification documents for expedited entry.

He, however, noted that this system would also easily flag discrepancies.

The General Secretary pointed out that upon entry and screening, all necessary information will be recorded by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

“When you enter into the country, immediately that record goes to a government central database that will be able to track you if you come in on a short-term visa. So, if you overstay, you get flagged; if you come in on a particular visa, you can’t get a work permit,” Dr. Jagdeo said.

“We can know who is coming into our country. We can keep our people secure, and we can flag undesirables before they come home,” he added.

These initiatives, Dr. Jagdeo underscored, would allow citizens to have a greater level of comfort and security.

E-IDs

Simultaneously, the government is working to roll out its electronic- Identification Cards (E-ID); however, these documents, Dr. Jagdeo noted, will not entirely replace the ID cards that have been historically issued by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

“We decided not to touch the GECOM ID, because you would hear APNU say we want to control the issuance of that ID. GECOM can continue the issuance of its ID, but this [E-] ID will have some of the strongest security features in the world; it will have a modern chip,” he pointed out.

He further explained: “Guyanese will have a different colour ID than foreigners, but everyone would be required to have one of these IDs, because, without the ID, you would not be able to open a bank account or access some government services.”

According to Dr. Jagdeo, this new system will be crucial as the country continues to grow. It will allow for the authorities to track illegal immigrants.

“We do not spend enough time in a detail way talking about these issues. So, for example, on digitisation of the country and how that will be crucial for the future… this is crucial to changing Guyana and to the lives of our people.”