Guyana says digital ID cards delayed by integration challenges

Guyana has been unable to meet its goal to begin issuing biometric electronic identity cards last year due to issues integrating two national ID systems faced by its supplier, Veridos, according to the Vice President of the South American country.

The country’s US$35.4 million contract with the German ID document maker was expected to be completed last year. Veridos, however, has had trouble integrating the country’s digital ID card system with the passport database, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said on Thursday.

“A lot of focus has been on integration and so that’s the hardest thing to do, the integration to make sure that we can work separately but the platforms can talk to each other and share information,” says Jagdeo. Once you get that right, the rollout of the card is easy.”

In January, Guyana’s government promised to allocate an additional $4.8 million for the deployment of chip-based e-ID cards on top of last year’s $3.75 million budget. The national rollout is expected within the next 12 months, while the ID cards will eventually become mandatory for all citizens and foreigners.

Vice President Jagdeo added that the ID cards will be integrated into Guyana’s surveillance system Smart Country, allowing authorities to track foreigners, local news outlet Demerara Waves reports.

“At any given moment, we will know about all the people who are in our country, who are not Guyanese, wherever they are from and we will have their biometrics,” he says.

The ID cards, issued by the National Digital Identity Authority (Digital Identity Card Registry),  will be required for opening bank accounts and employment. To obtain the card, residents must submit their national birth certificate, proof of residence and biometric data.

Guyana presents digital transformation strategy

Earlier this week, the country presented its digital transformation strategy, “Digital Guyana,” with President Irfaan Ali promising that the government will reshape how government services are delivered.

The initiative will be rolled out within the next five years, according to Ali. One of the key projects is a one-stop government services platform named Citizens Portal, which will allow citizens to apply for passports, driver’s licenses, ID cards and passports, access health and education records, register businesses and file taxes. The Citizen Portal will be integrated with financial institutions, allowing faster access to services to underserved communities.

Some of Guyana’s digital projects are already underway, including the e-ID rollout and the Ministry of Housing and Water’s Single Window Planning System, according to the Guyana Times.

Among other plans proposed by the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), is a sovereign AI cloud, which will store national data on Guyana’s territory.

“With more services going digital, protecting your personal information is a top priority for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic,” says President Ali. “On the Digital Guyana, we adopt global best practices in data encryption and secure cloud hosting, ensuring that AI is used responsibly and transparently…”

In 2025, the country, which has an estimated population of about 826,000 people, expanded its budget to $6.6 billion, up 20.6 percent compared to last year.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital government  |  Digital Guyana  |  digital ID  |  e-ID  |  government services  |  Guyana  |  identity document  |  Veridos