Operational Reg. 5 Passport Office by June

― as government continues to decentralize services

DPI, Guyana, Friday, April 26, 2019

As the Government brought the curtains down on the Region 5 outreach yesterday, several Ministers visited communities along the West Coast of Berbice.

Among those, was Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix who announced to the residents of Profit-Rising Sun that residents of the East Berbice-Corentyne Region will soon be able to forgo travelling to Georgetown to uplift their passports. This will be made possible when the Passport and Immigration Office in the Fort Ordnance, Canje, Berbice becomes fully operational.

This is in keeping with the administration’s vision of decentralising vital public services in capital and other towns. The services include Passport Offices, Birth, Death and Marriage Registration, Lands and Surveys Commission as well as the Guyana Revenue Authority among others.

The minister reminded that it was President David Granger who decided it was best to restore power to the citizens and as such the government outreaches and services are all part of changing how the administration relates to and relays with its people.

“We are improving services,” Minister Felix said.

The New Passport Office is awaiting commissioning once all appropriate measures and systems are put in place for its efficient operation.

Additionally, Passport Offices will be made operational in Anna Regina, Bartica and Linden.

In the future, Guyanese can expect a new 48-page biometric or “e-passport” with a ten-year lifespan. This will be available particularly to members of the judiciary, businessmen, parliamentarians and senior public servants. There will also be a system to accommodate  people who wish to have the processing of the passport applications expedited online, at a cost of $20,000.

Nateshia Isaacs.

Image: Department of Public Information.