President Ali urges public servants to embrace ‘Single Window’ system

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali warned public servants not to resist the implementation of the Electronic Planning and Development Single Window system that is designed to streamline business efficiency.

Speaking at the launch of a new online platform at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) on Monday, the head of state stated that the government would not tolerate inefficiency or reluctance to embrace digitalisation.

He said that despite training every single local entity, “one time, two times, three times, four times on the single window approval system…there is resistance”.

In 2024, the government, through the Central Housing Planning and Authority (CH&PA), launched the Electronic Planning and Development Single Window system.

Its main purpose was to replace the old method of approving building permits. This meant that applications previously involved handling large paper plans that required approvals from multiple agencies, including the Central Board of Health, Ministry of Public Works, Environmental Protection Agency, and the Guyana Fire Service.

To eliminate this, the system was launched as a ‘one-stop shop’ for all land and development applications by integrating all agencies on a single platform. But, in President Ali’s own words, certain actors are reluctant to adapt to the new system.

Consequently, the president said, “They have two months to ensure that a single window is working not only optimally but as was designed. And if it doesn’t happen, then people may have other priorities that they have an interest in. And we’ll give them a chance to explore the other priorities.”

The Single Window System is part of the administration’s broader effort to modernise governance, reduce red tape, improve customer satisfaction and remove human bias.

President Ali described these tools as essential to the country’s long-term development.

“When I said we have five to ten years’ work, I was not joking,” he stated. “We have to get it done. There’s no other choice.”

He referenced ongoing digital initiatives, including the use of the Coursera platform to upskill public servants and the introduction of digital tools in the agriculture sector, which will allow farmers to access real-time data, weather information, and extension support directly in the field.

“You may be upset with me today,” he told the audience, “But ten or fifteen years from now, when you see the system working, you’ll say, God bless him.”

On July 20, 2023, the government passed the Planning and Development Single Window System Act in the National Assembly to make way for this transformative platform.