Hassle-free travel, business with new national ID – Vice president

– Gov’t working with Abu Dhabi Exports

Guyanese and other persons looking to do business here can look forward to hassle-free travel through the country’s airports and improved ease of doing business, with the implementation of a new national ID card.

Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, made the announcement on Friday at his press conference.

“I met also with Abu Dhabi Exports, and we are looking for them to fund a project in Guyana. They’ll fund about 90 per cent of the cost, and the government, 10 per cent. It has to do with our airport. So, the Cabinet has approved that, to move fully to an e-visa portal, and put in a number of e-gates, so that in the future, hopefully within eight months to a year, that it will almost seem paperless coming in through our airport, but with a lot of security features,” the VP disclosed.

The ID card will have a secure chip, which can store data including blood type, date of birth, driver’s license and taxpayer’s number.

Dr Jagdeo said the necessary legislation to allow for the card’s use will be taken the National Assembly next year.

“It will be for nationals and people who are resident in Guyana. So, if you’re coming to work here, you have a different colour card. Guyanese will have one colour card.,” he explained.

The card, the VP noted can be used at banks and other institutions with ease.

“When they [Guyanese] come home, they can take out their card and just swipe and come in. They don’t have to go through this elaborate customs and all of that at immigration etc., making it easier for that.”

Government is also hoping to send employees from the Immigration Office and Customs department to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to receive training in the operation of the technology.

The vice president also pointed out that the system would not allow the duplication of numbers, since it will have a software that shows if two biometrics are the same.

In addition, the system will be designed in such a manner that when a work permit expires for foreign workers, the cards would no longer be valid, allowing for renewal. This, Dr Jagdeo said will make keeping track of persons in the country efficient.

“The next phase is probably e-passports. So, with this we’ll bring in the stuff from abroad, but these would be full electronic passports with a chip, when you go around the world. It’s hard to duplicate, easy for people to travel [with]. Hopefully that would give us more visa-free access to some countries in the world that require secure documents eventually,” the VP further disclosed.

He said this will improve the experience of Guyanese when they travel around the world or return here.