ONE must welcome the Government of Guyana’s decision to consolidate public-service personnel and administrative transactions on a single digital portal by September 30 as an important step toward a more efficient state.
For too long, too many government processes have been based on paper files, the physical movement of documents, signatures and administrative procedures that can turn relatively simple transactions into lengthy exercises.
The ability to submit, track and process contract renewals, employment approvals, scholarships and other personnel matters digitally should be more than convenient.
They should mean greater transparency, better record-keeping and a public service that is more in tune with the needs of a modern economy.
Minister of Government Efficiency, Public Service and Implementation Zulfikar Ally said the new portal will allow government agencies to communicate with the ministry through a single dashboard instead of manually.
Of particular significance is the Government’s expectation that entry into the payroll system and employment approvals could eventually be completed within one to two weeks.
That is the type of measurable progress to hold digital government accountable against, but there are positive signs that the Government is conscious of this wider challenge.
The new portal is part of a broader programme of reform in the public sector. The Ministry has been tasked with the modernisation of public-service administration.
The Government has also been working on digital identification, online services, citizen-engagement platforms and decentralised government service centres.
The 2026 Budget will extend digital systems, such as application tracking and records management, as part of the government’s longer-term plan to deliver a more responsive public service.
Decentralisation and digitalisation can already be combined successfully. Since the programme began in December, government service centres operating in six regions have processed over 204,000 transactions allowing citizens to access services from the Guyana Revenue Authority, General Register Office and immigration services without having to travel to Georgetown.
Digital government means using technology to serve people better. This principle is even more important as Guyana moves to a more digital public-service environment.
Starting October 1, all passport appointments will be online only, and no walk-ins will be accepted.
The reform has its obvious advantages. Applicants will be able to select a location and appointment time, and the system is intended to help ease congestion and reduce wait times.
A home-based service has also been launched by the passport service for the elderly and differently-abled persons.
But the government is right to acknowledge that not all citizens are equally comfortable with navigating a website, uploading documents or filling out an online application.
Minister Ally said there will be assistance for elderly citizens through decentralised government service hubs and help desks at Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs). This is the kind of safeguard that must accompany digital reform.
It should go further. The World Bank said that Guyana has made significant progress in connectivity, with 83 per cent of the population using the internet in 2024.
This is a huge step forward, but it also means that there’s a large minority who are not regular internet users.
The digital divide is therefore no abstract concern. This has direct implications for access to passports, identification, social services, employment-related transactions and other vital government functions.
The government’s own experience with more than 200 ICT hubs in hinterland communities demonstrates why access points and human assistance are still necessary.
The facilities have been used to provide remote communities with access to technology, information and e-government services.
The more the government moves to digitalise, the more it has a duty to protect citizens’ information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse and cyberattacks.
From the outset, the architecture must be built with strong authentication, control of access, audit trails, backup systems, cybersecurity protocols and clear accountability for breaches.
The same principle applies to government employees.
A centralised portal should provide a clear digital audit trail showing when an application was submitted, who received it, what action was taken and where delays occurred.
If an application goes unanswered for weeks, then the system should reflect this delay. There should be an escalation mechanism if an officer is consistently failing to act within the prescribed timeframes.
Digitisation should make it harder, not easier, for files to disappear into administrative limbo.
Another useful benchmark is the government’s Citizens Connect experience. Since the platform’s launch in March, about 75 per cent of the issues reported on it have reportedly been fixed.
The new public-service portal should aim for that level: not just digitised transactions, but visible outcomes.
So, the September 30 deadline should be seen as a beginning of reform, not an end.
The Government must be credited for moving away from a paper-based administration.
But the true measure of success will not be the number of forms converted to digital files, the number of portals launched, or the number of computers installed.
It will be about whether a citizen can obtain a government service without undue delay, whether a public servant can do his or her job without unnecessary bureaucracy, whether a manager can identify where a process is failing, and whether the state can protect the information entrusted to it.
Digitalisation is a means. The goal is to be efficient. Inclusion is our responsibility. Responsibility ought to be the norm.