Decentralising services

February 20, 2020

―Reg. 10 $38.1M Immigration and Passport Office officially commissioned

DPI, Guyana, Thursday, February 20, 2020

The $38.1Million Immigration and Passport Office in Region 10 was officially commissioned today.

When construction of the office was completed it was put service on July 30 last year to test the equipment and effectiveness of staff members and during that period 2,623 applications were successfully processed.

Commissioning the new facility, Director-General (DG) of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon said the government has committed to enhancing the lives of all Guyanese, despite their location or religious and political affiliations.

$38.1M Immigration and Passport Office commissioned in Region 10. [In photo from left] Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. the Hon. Karen Cummings, Minister of Citizenship, the Hon. Winston Felix, Director-General (DG) of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, Regional Chairman, Renis Morian, Deputy Mayor Wainwright Bethune and former Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Jermaine Figueira.

Young Mackenzie High School student assists in cutting of ribbon to the $38.1M edifice.

Immigration Officers at the Immigration and Passport Office in Region 10 and Deputy Chief Immigration Officer Superintendent Ewart Wray (centre with jacket).

Eon Paul, resident of Region 10.

Elize Benjamin-Hall, resident of Region 10.

$38.1M Immigration and Passport Office commissioned in Region 10.

“We have committed ourselves to ensure that government services are taken to the people and that the people don’t have to go searching for these services. We recognized very early that they are certain thing which affected the lives of every Guyanese and therefore they had to be a decentralisation; in governance and public service,” DG Harmon stated

Minister of Citizenship, the Hon. Winston Felix noted that the government’s intervention significantly boosts the way the public conducts transactions with government institutions.

“His Excellency President David Granger’s vision to decentralize Government services to Capital Towns is now manifesting itself in events such as this, which must be coupled with the Department of Lands and Surveys which has established offices in Regions 9 and 10.”

Resident Eon Paul said the initiative means no more travelling expenses. “This is an excellent gift because many times you have to go to Georgetown to have the process done and you don’t always have the extra cash to pay for transportation,” Paul told DPI.

“I would have experienced taking my children to Georgetown and you have to leave in the wee hours to join the line and that used to be very stressful. another resident Elize Benjamin-Hall recalled. “So, I count this as a blessing.”

Another Immigration and Immigration and Passport Office is currently under construction at Lethem and Rupununi in Region 9 and plans are in the pipeline to establish offices in Mabaruma, Region 1, Anna Regina, Region 2, Bartica, Region 7 and in Mahdia, Region 8.

Also present at the historic event were Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. the Hon. Karen Cummings, former Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Jermaine Figueira and Deputy Mayor Wainwright Bethune, among others.