US$35.4M Contract Signed To Make ‘One Card’ System A Reality in Guyana

  • Yet another milestone has been reached to bring the vision of a single electronic identification card for all government and business transactions to reality, as a US$35.4 million contract was signed between Germany-based company, Veridos and the Government of Guyana on Friday, March 10.
  • The implementation of the single electronic identification card allows for the issuance of work permits and resident identification through a more coordinated approach that will see holders of the registration numbers using that single identification for all transactions, President Dr Irfaan Ali said during a simple signing ceremony at State House.
  • He stated that the enhancement is necessary due to the immediate need to implement a robust national identity management system that focuses on the integration of identification services across government agencies, security, ease of use, and acquisition of IDs.
  • The government embarked on this process in October 2021; and sought the support of the United Arab Emirates. Since then, two companies submitted prototypes which were assessed by technical teams from Guyana’s National Data Management Authority (NDMA) and the Office of the National Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
  • In the Head of State’s view, the card will enhance the ease of transactions and be one of the most technologically advanced systems. The President explained that the new electronic identification system would revolutionize how business is done in Guyana and, with its advanced security system, will eliminate the need for certain documents.
  • As an example, the banking sector would now have fingerprint verification and validation of its clients, thereby eliminating the need for proof of address and all other audit documentation.
  • The cost of doing business, effectiveness, competitiveness, and efficiency is all set to improve as a result of this technology through the introduction of e-health, e-education, e-security, e-agriculture, electronic permit, and license processing, among other areas.

(Source: CariCris)