Guyana's President Confirms Digital Government by 2026

Published Date : 9/26/2025 

President Irfaan Ali of Guyana has reaffirmed his commitment to digitizing all government services by the end of 2026, outlining several key initiatives to achieve this goal. 

President Irfaan Ali of Guyana has restated his commitment to ensuring that most, if not all, government services are fully digitized before the year 2026. Dr. Ali made this pledge during the inaugural press conference of his second presidency in the capital, Georgetown.

The Guyana leader said he has put in place measures to realize his vision, as stated in a press release from the presidency. “A few days ago, I held a meeting with all the IT heads and outlined the digital transformation plan aimed at fully digitalizing all government services before the end of the second quarter in 2026,” Ali said during the press conference.

He announced the appointment of a Chief Technology Officer, who will be supported by the National Data Management Authority (NDMA), to manage the digitization process. This includes implementing a digital platform to monitor and track key performance indicators for government agencies, ensuring greater transparency, accountability, and efficiency.

The digitization drive aims to establish a common digital government platform that will link up services across government agencies and streamline access to them. According to Ali, many services are already being migrated onto the dedicated platform, including procedures for obtaining security clearance, birth and death certificates.

Other digital transformation projects include an online passport application portal, which is expected to go live at the end of this year, and a national digital ID, which is set to be rolled out by the second quarter of next year. The sum of $4.8 million has been allocated for the ID project in this year’s budget, and the German firm Veridos holds the contract.

A biometric passport system was launched earlier this year, as was a biometric border management system, both of which are part of the country’s efforts to modernize its immigration processes. Ali also mentioned ongoing efforts to digitize Guyana’s healthcare system, citing a pilot to test an online appointments platform. “We want to move the system into an app-based system where you have appointments, so you don’t have to waste your time or sit at these clinics for hours,” he said.

The president emphasized that the ongoing efforts to digitize public services are not only meant to modernize how public services are delivered but also to improve the lives and wellbeing of citizens under what he termed Digital Guyana. “Digital Guyana is our commitment to building a modern state where technology makes public service faster, more accessible, and more responsive,” he stated.

However, one aspect of Guyana’s digitization efforts that has proven to be a highly contentious issue is the proposal to introduce biometrics for voter verification. The move has faced significant opposition and is still under review. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What is the main goal of President Irfaan Ali's digital transformation plan?

A: The main goal is to fully digitize all government services by the end of the second quarter in 2026, ensuring greater transparency, accountability, and efficiency in public service delivery.

Q: When will the online passport application portal be available?

A: The online passport application portal is expected to go live by the end of this year.

Q: What is the budget allocated for the national digital ID project?

A: The budget allocated for the national digital ID project is $4.8 million.

Q: What company is contracted to implement the national digital ID project?

A: The German firm Veridos is contracted to implement the national digital ID project.

Q: Which aspect of Guyana’s digitization efforts is facing significant opposition?

A: The proposal to introduce biometrics for voter verification is facing significant opposition and is still under review. 

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